A Place Called Home
by sarabeth1
Summary: He told Emma his reasons for what happened 11 years ago. He wanted to get her home. But, what home was that? Now that she's found her parents and lifted the curse, Emma is now struggling with Neal coming back in to their lives and her new found magic. *Set right after "Manhattan". Charming Family, Emma and Neal.
1. Chapter 1

A Place Called Home

Chapter 1

A/N: This is my first Once Upon A Time Fanfic so please be gentle. I started writing this right after "Manhattan" and have a few chapters completed already. It's a Swanfire (or Swanthief…not sure what the correct shipper name is?) and Charming family story. I'm tired of not seeing any David/Emma bonding on the show so I think I'll be rectifying that here.

CHAPTER 1

_**Emma**_

Emma tried to cover her eyes from the harsh sunlight that crept in to her room. She knew all too well where she was and remembered the events from the day before, but prayed it was a bad dream. She wanted to open her eyes and be in her bed in Storybrooke. She wanted to go downstairs and have an awkward breakfast with her parents. What she did not want to deal with was another face to face with Neal Cassidy. Unfortunately, Henry had other plans.

"Mom," Henry called out. "Can you please wake up?!"

"No." She grumbled.

"We are supposed to meet my dad," he said anxiously.

Emma didn't answer. She simply pushed Henry in to the bathroom to get ready. She needed to ready herself as well. So many emotions were flowing through her; hate, anger, frustration, betrayal…love. She wanted to deny the last part, but he was her first and only love. She hated him and August and the damned curse even more. A knock at the door shook her out of her thoughts. Only Gold would show up at this time.

"I'm done helping you. I just want to go home and forget I ever…" she stopped when she looked up at who was at the other side of the now open door. "We aren't supposed to meet for another hour." She kept her body between Neal and the room. The door was only open a crack. "How'd you find us?"

He smirked. "I have my ways." When she glared at him he shook his head. "Father of the year told me where to find him. Figured you were here as well."

"Go away please." Emma looked down at her pajamas. Blue gym shorts. She muttered a curse when she realized that the shirt she had on was one of Neal's. It was one of the few possessions she had on her when she was arrested. She used to sleep in it when they were together. It took her a few years to even take it out of the box of items she had prior to moving on from Neal. She wore the keychain to remind her to not to trust anyone. She wore his shirt to be close to him. She'd deny it to anyone and say it was an old ratty shirt she got at a thrift store. When she packed it she didn't think she'd be seeing Neal, let alone him seeing her wear it. He followed her glance and if he recognized it, he didn't say anything.

"I want to see Henry, and talk to you." He sighed. "I couldn't wait."

"We have nothing to talk about. As for Henry, you get today then we go home. If I have to leave your father behind I will."

"Whoa." Neal but his hand up and pulled her in to the hallway. "You can't bring Henry in to my life just to take him away." He shook his head. "No."

"We have a home. My…parents…," her voice sounded small, almost childlike and her head lowered. Taking a deep breath she lifted it. "I fulfilled my end of the deal with Gold. You can follow if you want."

His face was angry. His voice matched. "I can't. And you can't keep me from my son."

Emma slapped him hard across the face. How dare he? She gave birth to the son in prison and had no choice but to put him up for adoption. If Neal hadn't betrayed her they could have been a family. She wouldn't have lost 11 years with Henry. If anything, Neal's actions kept her from Henry.

"What was that for?" Neal was surprised.

"You have to ask?" Emma's arms were now crossed across her chest.

"Can we put the past aside for now? I thought we decided that yesterday? For Henry." Neal nodded towards the room. "You and I have a lot to talk about. You took Henry and left pretty quickly. Let me just spend a little time with him and then you and I can…we can…" he trailed off.

They both jumped when Henry swung the door open. He was holding Emma's phone. "Baelfire, I mean Neal, I mean Dad…What do I call you?"

Neal laughed. "My name is Neal but it's ok to call me Dad." He ruffled Henry's hair.

"Ok, Dad!" Henry put the phone to his ear. "Found her Gramps. Ok, you too!" Henry handed Emma the phone. "He called a few times."

"Hi David," Emma greeted after taking the phone from Henry and watched him take Neal's hand and lead him to the room. She followed. "I talked to her yesterday. No, I'm fine. Henry's fine." She paused and glanced over at father and son who were sitting on the edge of the bed pretending like they weren't listening. "Seriously? Fine, no he is not scaly, glittery and wet looking. Really, that's what he looked like? Gross. You think I would…ok this is awkward." She chuckled suddenly and stopped when she caught Neal's smile. "I'm sure you would if you could, but Mary Margaret would not like it if you lost your memory. Thank you for the offer. I'm going to rent a car or something and get us home soon. Keep me updated. Ok, bye." Emma turned off her phone and looked at Henry's very unhappy face.

"We can't leave unless he comes too."

"You would stay here and leave behind David, Mary Margaret, Archie…all our friends? The people who care for us?" Emma couldn't believe those words slipped out of her mouth.

"He's my dad," Henry cried.

"And I'm your mother." She didn't want to be doing this with Henry. Neal watched and she hated that as well. "Cora is in Storybrooke and up to no good. I need you to be near people who can keep you safe. Not here, where everyone is powerless. If Cora turns Regina…Henry I can't lose you." She softened. "And if that means you not seeing your father, then I am sorry."

"Come with us. Please?" Henry turned to Neal with wide eyes.

_**Neal**_

Neal didn't know much of what was going on in Storybrooke, Henry only told him a little bit. They mostly talked about Henry what kind of kid he was. Neal didn't want to discuss his life as Bae and Henry said he didn't want to "overwhelm" him with stories of Storybrooke. They thought they'd have time. Now Emma was threatening on taking him away. Watching Henry plead with her crushed him. And if there were people back there who wanted to hurt them then why go back?

"Why go back? If they are dangerous why go back? If people are powerless once leaving Storybrooke you are safe here." There, he said it.

"They are powerless to use magic. They can still take him from me." Emma huffed. "I'm taking a shower. Can I trust YOU not to run off with my kid?"

"Emma, please." That hurt. Neal watched her grab some things and head to the bathroom. He couldn't help but smile at her shirt. "That is a pretty ratty old shirt there huh?" Neal pointed out to Henry, pointing to the direction Emma was just in.

"Granma almost used it as a dust rag. Oh you should have see Mom." Henry laughed. "She freaked out."

First the keychain, then the shirt. She could try to deny it but she still cared. She said she was over it, him. He still felt the feelings he had for her 11 years stir up in him. They never went away and he regretted every day letting her go, even though it was what he had to do. He forced himself to move on. 11 years was a long time to wait for a curse to break. He wished he had gone to find her when the postcard arrived, but that meant having to see his father. He was a coward. And there was that other matter he had to deal with.

"Dad?" Henry broke him out of his thoughts.

"Yes?"

"Your dad, he misses you. I know he was bad and did bad things. But he's trying to be good now. He helped me when I was in the sleeping spell." Henry opened his mouth to continue but Neal stopped him.

"Sleeping spell?"

"Yeah. My other mom," Henry began. Once again Neal stopped him.

"Other mom?" His voice cracked.

"Yeah, Regina. The Evil Queen."

Neal wished they had talked more and not just about how cool the flight to New York was. Other mom? Evil Queen? Why did his son have another mom? "Why do you have two moms?"

"Emma gave me up. I found her. On her 28th birthday actually." He smiled proudly. "I made her come back to Storybrooke to break the curse. My other mom, Regina, doesn't like her at all. And she hates Grandma and Gramps. She was trying to stop using magic for me. I don't think she can." Henry lowered his head.

Neal stared at the bathroom. Emma gave up their son and an evil magical queen raised him? She gave him up just like his father did to him, and she had the nerve to tell him not to break Henry's heart? How could she? She had the means to take care of him. She had money. He made sure of that. He felt anger stir in him. He tried to push it down. Neal was failing. He took the TV remote and turned on the TV and asked Henry to stay put. He then walked to the bathroom.

"Out in a minute." Emma called from the other end. When the lock unclicked and the door opened Neal pushed his way in. "What the hell? Get out!" Emma cried, but fully dressed.

"You gave him up?!" Neal hissed. "You just gave him away? After everything you and I went through…how it felt to be left by our parents…you did that to him?"

He watched her eyes glass over as if trying to hold back tears and he realized maybe this was a bad idea. Then her face turned red in anger. She didn't hit him this time. It was as if she was daring him to continue with his verbal assault.

"How could you?" he whispered this time.

"How could I?" Her breath caught. "How could you." She pushed him as hard as she could against the door. "You set me up! You called the police on me. I took the fall for you. I found out I was pregnant with your child in jail, Neal. All I had waiting for me when I got out was that damn car. What was I going to do? Raise a baby in that car?!" She was failing now in her struggle not to cry. "While you were where? Phuket?! You have a grand time spending all that money from the watches?"

Neal felt the wind knock out of him. What was she talking about? He left the money along with the car with August for Emma. Tears were now streaming down her face. He felt like the world's biggest jerk. Where did he get off getting angry at her? He knew now he was out of line.

"Mom?" Henry called from the other side. "Are you ok?" He knocked this time.

"Yes," she managed to say. She wiped her eyes. "You leave now. Henry and I leave for home once our bags are packed. If you choose to follow know one thing. I never want to speak to you unless it has to do with Henry. Got it?"

"Emma, please. I'm sorry." Neal reached out for her only to feel her body shove in to his as she walked out of the bathroom.

"Henry, pack your things. We are leaving now." Emma started to pack her own things and when Henry didn't comply she started throwing his things in his bags.

"We can't leave yet Mom!"

"Yes, we can." She stared at Neal. "He has been given the invitation to come to Storybrooke. Hopefully Leroy doesn't try to kill him. He isn't fond of outsiders right now."

"Please, don't do this. I can't leave right now." Neal reached for her, trying to stop her frantic packing.

"Don't touch me," Emma growled.

Before any of them knew it and blast of energy seemed to have burst from Emma and straight towards Neal. A gush of wind accompanied it. He hit the floor and then looked up at the shocked face of his son and the terrified face of Emma. What just happened? How did she do that? She quickly covered her mouth as if to smother a cry then walked to the door. Still in awe of what just happened he didn't register that she was telling him he had to go. He would go but only because he needed answers and by the look on Emma's face what just happened was a shock to her as much as it was to him.

"Please just don't leave."

Her response was the door slamming in his face.


	2. Chapter 2

_Thank you to everyone who reviewed and decided to follow and/or favorite this story. You made my week! I accept constructive criticism as well. I love writing dialogue and tend to get carried away with it. If it's gets out of hand please let me know. I always had this little dream of being a screenwriter but alas, I sit behind a desk typing and stuffing envelopes which is far more glamorous than the life of a screenwriter. _

CHAPTER 2

_**Emma**_

"What was that?" Henry touched Emma's hand after she shut the door on Neal.

"I have no clue." She looked down at their hands. His small hands shook a bit as if scared of what she could do. "We have to leave, kid. Whatever that was, I didn't have any control of it. I am so angry at him and if I don't leave…I promise he will follow us."

"You can't promise that." Henry snatched his bag from the floor in a huff.

"I can. Neal would never abandon you. Please, just…we need to go."

Emma continued with their packing. Whatever it was that just came out of her, it was fueled by her anger at Neal. There was no control on her part. That terrified her. She did want to give Henry more time with his father, but at this point she needed her parents to hopefully make sense of all of this. Rumplestiltskin gave her an idea of the magic she had but she couldn't very well go to him. He was after all the Dark One. Maybe Mother Superior could help her? Or she could ignore it and just go home and see if Neal would follow them.

"I don't like this mom. It's not fair." Henry pouted as they drove the rental car home. "You didn't even tell Mr. Gold we were leaving."

"Life isn't fair, kid. And I upheld my end of the deal with Mr. Gold. He can find his own way home."

They were quiet the rest of the ride. The ride was a lot longer than when she had driven from Boston to Storybrooke but thankfully it was early morning when she made her escape. They would be home by 7 she tried to calculate. She didn't call Mary Margaret or David to let them she was coming home. She didn't want to talk to anyone yet. Neal called her a few times then the calls stopped. Gold must have given him the number. She felt relief wash over her as she drove in to Storybrooke.

Henry still didn't say a word to her as they walked up the stairs to the loft. She was about to open the door but didn't want to risk walking in on her parents again. They weren't expecting them home just yet. She knocked and steadied herself to face her parents. David was the one to open the door. Henry pushed his way through and rushed up to his and Emma's room. Emma gave her father a weak smile.

"Emma?" David led her in the loft and to the couch.

"Henry hates me. I almost killed Neal." She was not going to fall apart. Where was Mary Margaret. She couldn't do this with David. It was awkward. "Where's –"

"She followed Henry the minute he rushed in. She's upstairs." He looked in to her eyes. "You can talk to me."

"I don't want to talk about it." She had her head lowered. David sat on the arm of the couch.

"I'll go get your mother," he said sadly as he patted her shoulder. Emma grabbed his hand and pulled in down next to her.

"He just left me. He promised we'd be together forever. That we would take care of each other," Emma spewed out. Why was she opening up to him? She was exhausted. That was why. It had nothing to do with the fact that her heart was breaking and she wanted to know what it felt like to have her father tend to it. "He set me up for his crime. I went to jail for him. I really thought he'd be waiting for me, you know? I thought when they locked me up that I just needed to do my time and he'd be there."

David didn't say anything. Emma continued. "I figured he fenced his stolen watches and he'd be waiting with the money and we'd start our life. I found out I was pregnant the same day a prison guard came and told me I got mail. A package from Phuket. Car keys. A damn set of keys to the car we both stole. That's when I knew. He wasn't waiting. He took the money and left me. I gave up Henry to have a better life and he had to nerve to be angry with me for that?"

She felt fat tears fall down her face. She felt David's strong arms wrap around her. Then she felt his hand on her head, soothing her. She felt a droplet of water touch the top of her head. Was he crying too? She cried hard. She sobbed. She didn't care about the walls she carefully built or that she always felt awkward and unsure around her father. Right now, in this moment, she was a little girl in her father's arms. She felt the world go away and for the first time in a long time, she felt safe.

Emma knew she had fallen asleep in her father's arms. She didn't want to wake up. She heard voices and knew Mary Margaret and David were talking about her. He was running his hands through her hair. She imagined as a child she would have enjoyed falling asleep to that. Why couldn't she open her eyes? She needed to speak to Henry.

"Henry is sleeping just as soundly as Emma," Mary Margaret said as if reading her mind. "You've been like this with her all evening. Why don't you carry her to bed?"

"I think I'd like to enjoy this a little longer."

Emma did as well. One of them kissed the top of her head. She fell back asleep. Safe again. She started to drift out of her sleep at the sound of a knock at the door and her mother's voice. David stirred a bit but Mary Margaret's voice was muffled. Then she raised it.

"This is the real reason she had to rush back here, isn't?" she heard his voice. "Not because of her parents, but because of a boyfriend?"

"Bae." Was that Gold?

"You two really need to leave," came Mary Margaret's hushed voice.

Emma jumped at the same time David did. Standing above them was Neal and Gold. Mary Margaret was trying to keep the peace. Emma was trying to make sense of the fact that Neal was here so quickly and with his father. And her father, oh her father. He looked like a man ready to murder. She somewhat pitied Neal. He was going to meet her father the Prince. Not the mild mannered David Nolan. From the stories she heard, the Prince was a fierce warrior.

"Is it? Did you rush off because of him?" Neal pointed to David. Was that jealousy? Emma tried to hold in a laugh realizing he had no clue that David was her father and not a boyfriend. "You can't keep Henry from me and let him raise him."

"Bae, really. Stop," Gold tried to talk to his son.

"No, you stay out of this." He glanced at his father who simply shrugged and took a seat as if ready for a show.

"So this is Henry's father?" David questioned. "This is the piece of – " he stopped.

Everything happened so fast. David grabbed Neal by the shirt and pushed him up against the wall. He had one arm pushed up against his throat and the other was searching for his sword that was just next to them. Emma wasn't sure if he was just trying to scare him or if he'd hurt him. He pushed back and now the end of his sword was pointed at Neal's heart. Gold stood up and Mary Margaret tried to tell him to sit down.

"Hey man," Neal stuttered. "Look, this is about my kid. Not you and Emma." He looked over at Emma. "Who is this guy? A sword?"

"David, don't. Put it down," her mother said softly.

"Fine," he said grumpily and dropped his sword. He looked at Emma then pulled his arm back and slugged Neal. He moved to slug him again when Emma caught his hand. He kept his eyes trained on Neal's.

"David," Emma said softly. "Please don't." He didn't budge. Neal was looking worried. Gold however, remained in his seat. "David." Oh come on. "DAD!" David snapped his head around to Emma and smiled. She pushed him to the couch.

"She called me dad," he whispered to Mary Margaret as she came out with ice. He was grinning like a fool.

"You called him dad." Neal stayed up against the wall.

"Neal, meet my mom and dad. David and Mary Margaret. Some people know them as Snow White and Prince Charming." Emma had a feeling he knew who her parents were just didn't realize they would be her age."

Neal didn't budge. He glanced over to Mr. Gold who simply shrugged. She loved watching him squirm under her father's glare and the fact that his own father stood and watched everything happen was even better. It was almost like Gold was letting Neal make an idiot of himself in retaliation of his rejection from the other day. Whatever the reason, Emma didn't care. It was amusing to watch.

_**Neal**_

"Can we please talk in private?" Neal looked softly at Emma.

Both her parents and his father were watching them. They really needed to discuss things and having parents around was not conducive to that. That and Prince Charming really did appear to want to kill him. Being far away from that would be fantastic, Neal thought.

"She's not going anywhere with you," Prince Charming growled. "You and your father can slither back to whatever hole you came out of." Yep, if looks could kill Neal would be dead. Prince Charming wasn't all that charming.

"David!" Snow White and Emma both cried.

Emma pushed her father out the way and shot him, what Neal thought was a 'thank you' look. She grabbed her coat and opened the door. That was easier than he thought it would be.

"Careful out there. Cora and Hook…," Snow trailed off.

Neal paused at hearing the name Hook.

"I don't think Cora can hurt me and Hook would rather…," she smirked. "We will be careful." She nodded to the sword. "Want me to take that with me?"

"I'm not going to answer that because I know you are kidding." Charming had his arms crossed.

Neal could tell Emma enjoyed her father's protectiveness over her. He was also pretty sure she enjoyed watching her father punch him in the face. Neal supposed he deserved it. There was a day he was that person to Emma and anyone who hurt her would have to endure Neal's wrath. He lost that place in her life years ago. Realizing this now added even more pain to this whole situation. Just like the pain he felt when Emma told him nothing good came from their relationship. Thinking on it now, he figured out she lied to keep him from knowing about the greatest thing ever…Henry.

He followed her outside and around the corner to where he saw the unmistakable yellow bug. He felt it best not to comment. Why did his life have to be so complicated right now? Signs pointed to Emma still holding on to feelings for him? At this point in time? He shook his head. Why? They rode to their destination in silence.

"The Sheriff's station? You gonna have me arrested?" He joked following her to the doors. When she produced a set of keys his eyes widened just a bit.

"I could if I wanted. But I'd be the one locking you up."

Neal cocked his head to the side but followed her in to a back office. She took a seat behind the desk and pushed some papers to the side. He could see a photo of Emma and Henry. So, she was the Sheriff? Again, he kept his comments to himself even though he really wanted to joke about a petty thief being a Sheriff.

"You wanted to talk." Emma pointed to the chair across the desk. "I'm just really not sure what else there is to talk about."

"There is plenty to say." Neal closed his eyes. "I flew here with my father – my father, Emma, because you ran off. Sure, I could have waited but I didn't like how we left things.

"I'm fine with how we left things. In fact, I'm pretty sure that I told you I _didn't_ want to talk you." Emma leaned back and kicked her feet on her desk. "I just didn't want you waking up Henry. _That _is why you are here."

"So we are just going to sit here, not talking then?" Neal tried to read Emma. He could always read her. Not this time. "Ok, don't talk. Just listen."

She didn't respond but fixed an icy stare on him. He already told her why he left her. To get her home and she didn't care. And he made the mistake of opening his mouth this morning…wow was it really just this morning… and angering her. He shouldn't have questioned her decision to give Henry up. He had no right. And why did she act like he never left her any money? Probably because August kept it.

"I left you. I called the police on you. You did time for my crime. I own up to that. I hurt you. Betrayed you." Neal rubbed his face and sighed. He felt a knot in his stomach and all he wanted to do was feel her in his arms. "You can believe me or not, but the choice to do that – to lose the most important thing in my life…it killed me." He leaned forward and looked in her eyes. She was looking ahead, past him. "A little after you were locked up I met up with August. Looking at it now, I shouldn't have trusted him. He promised he'd look after you for me. I made the car clean for you and I did give him all the money from the watches after I fenced them for you."

"You don't give large sums of money to Pinnochio," she grunted.

"I know that now. But I had no clue he was Pinnochio, I mean his nose didn't grow when he said he'd give you the money." He laughed slightly. "I wanted to know you'd be fine. I asked him to let me know once you were free. Once you broke the curse." Neal pulled up a now tattered post-card and handed it to her. "I've had it for a while now. I just couldn't get the courage to face you or my father."

With shaky hands she picked up the post card that simply said "broken". He could see she was trying not to cry. She succeeded. Emma handed it back to him before pushing her chair back, her feet thumping on the floor. She took a seat on the end of the desk, now mere inches from Neal. He was really hoping she didn't slap him.

"While I appreciate the explanation, it changes nothing. That card proves one thing…you are even more a coward than I thought." Her eyes bore in to his. "If it killed you to leave me and you wanted to know when the curse was lifted…you knew it would be 11 years. You didn't come for me right away. So, one of two things happened. You never cared like you claim or you gave up and moved on."

He tried not to show the hurt her words caused him. Of course he cared. He loved her still. And he wasn't sure if giving up was the right word choice. Why was life so complicated? She was waiting for his response and really didn't want the words to slip off his tongue. And she was looking at him…waiting….


	3. Chapter 3

_Thank you to everyone who reviewed my first two chapters. It seriously meant a lot to see the reviews (along with the addition of followers and people who made this a favorite story)._

_I have most of this story completed with the exception of some scenes here and there. I like it this way so that it won't take me weeks to update. This chapter is longer than the first two so you may either like it or hate it._

_I appreciate all reviews. I hope you enjoy this one_.

CHAPTER 3

_**Emma**_

Emma watched the flicker in his eye when she suggested he moved on. How foolish was she to think he held on to hope of them reuniting. It's not like she didn't move on. Ok, so in the interest of being honest, the closest relationship she after Neal was Graham. And he died only a few feet from where they sat. No one could ever make her feel the way Neal could. And now no one would be allowed close enough to betray her. It was obvious he had moved on…with another woman.

"How serious is it?" she managed to ask. She stood up and moved to the door.

"Emma, not now. Please." He was pleading and obviously uncomfortable.

"It has to be pretty serious." She shook her head. "I mean, yeah. That's why you couldn't leave New York right away." She tried to steady her breath. Stay calm. "This town doesn't handle outsiders well. They are afraid. Ever since the curse broke. Outsiders can enter. She can't come."

"She has a name."

"Doesn't matter. She can't come to Storybrooke." Emma crossed her arms. "Leroy wanted to let an outsider die to keep this place a secret. She cannot come in to this town. We are still playing damage control from the guy in the hospital."

"I can't just abandon – "

"Why? Wouldn't be the first time." Emma cut him off.

"We are – "

"Engaged." Emma finished for him. She allowed one tear to fall. Neal simply nodded. The next thing out of her mouth she would regret. "So you really love her then?"

Neal stood up and cupped his hands on her face. She tried to look away but didn't move. When she finally gave in and looked she saw the Neal she fell in love with. Breathe, Emma. Just breathe.

"Not like I love you. Never like you." Then he leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. "I'm sorry I hurt you. If I could take it away I would." Then without another word he walked out.

Emma wasn't sure how to react to any of it. To his explanation right down to his announcement that he was engaged. What really threw her was his choice of words. He said love – as in present. Not loved – as in he once did. Perhaps it was a slip of the tongue or perhaps he still had feelings for her. It didn't matter. She couldn't forgive him and he was engaged.

"I'm over you," she huffed walking to the door of the station. She locked it then headed back in to her office where she pulled a bottle of rum and glass out of the bottom drawer of her desk. "I'm over you," she mumbled taking her first sip.

Perhaps an hour went by, maybe more? Emma couldn't be sure. She wasn't really sure of much except she felt really good right now. Her face tingled, but it was fine. She vaguely remembered her phone ringing or answering it. It was Snow White or Prince Charming. One of her parents. Or both maybe. And when did she start calling them by their fairytale names? She didn't know or care.

"Ha. My parents are friggin' Snow White and Prince Charming and my son's father is the son of Rumplestiltskin." She was pacing. "Because that is normal." She took a gulp of the rum. "And Pinnochio ran off the only man I've ever loved who is now engaged. That's just GREAT!" She finished the drink then threw the glass across the room. It shattered on the wall by the door.

"That make you feel better?" His voice startled her.

"It did." She straightened up and flashed her father a drunken grin. "Want to drive around town with the lights and sirens on?" She was twirling the keys on her finger. When he just raised his eyebrows she huffed. "Ok, no. Want a drink then?" She tried not to stumble but failed and dropped into her chair. She grabbed the bottle and gave him a look. "Well, we kind of need something to drink out of."

"Maybe you had enough?" His tone was soft.

"Oh, I'm sorry Prince Charming." She laughed. "Is this behavior unbecoming of a princess?"

"Some princesses it would be frowned on. But for my daughter…," he trailed off then disappeared. He quickly returned with two mugs. He took the bottle and poured them each a glass. "You are my princess and the Kingdom would never think less of you. They love you."

Oh, don't lose it. Emma couldn't control it. She cracked up laughing. David raised his eyebrow over his mug. The Kingdom? They were all stuck in Storybrooke hell. Kingdom…a destroyed kingdom. Desperately in need of its Royal Family. Her family. What? How was that even real life? It was absurd, even though she knew it was all true. She had seen it for herself. She had magic. Was it needed more in the Enchanted Forest than here?

"I'm sorry," she said after her outburst. "This is just like some kind of crazy movie or soap opera. I mean seriously. You can't honestly say it's not a little weird that your daughter is the same age as you…or at least appearance wise. Because it's pretty weird."

David let out a small laugh. "Did I think I'd look the same 28 years later when you came for us? No. I knew my baby girl would be a woman. An amazing one at that." He shushed her when she tried to cut in. "You are and yeah, it is a little weird. Anyone who says otherwise is lying. But Emma, I love you. So much."

"My dad is friggin' Prince Charming," she laughed.

"Come on my intoxicated Princess." He helped her up. "Let's get you home."

"Can we walk?" The cool air felt nice on her face.

"Sure." David held on to her as they walked down the street.

"Neal is an ass. So is August. Who abandons their girlfriend because a stranger tells them to?" Emma slurred a bit. "I used magic on him in New York. He made me angry so I pushed him away." She stopped and stared at a trash bin. "Like this." She focused and the bin flew much like Neal did. She laughed. "Huh. I did that?"

"Emma, when did you…," David trailed off with concern in his voice.

She shrugged. "I guess my magic works everywhere." Her face lit up then she quickly punched her father in the arm. "Let's go back."

"To the station? I think it's time to sober up."

"No. Back there." She dragged out the word _there_. She threw her arms in the air. "Find a way. Leave Neal and Gold and…Regina and her crew of baddies. Leave all of them and go back there."

_**David**_

David's eyes softened looking at his daughter. In her drunkenness she said what he wanted his whole family to agree to. He didn't feel complete. He had his family but he belonged back in their land. And not because he missed being royalty. He just missed his home, simple as that. Emma actually seemed to want to go. Which could just be because she was sad and angry.

"Snow wants to stay here. It's safer."

"Safer? How?" Emma yelled. "I don't want to be here anymore."

He had to duck when a street light suddenly exploded. Looking at Emma, she didn't seem fazed by it. She simply continued on her rant about how being there had to be better than here. Back there it would be ok to have parents your age and ok to have your son's dad a few hundred years old. As they walked more lights blew up. She was angry and it seemed that she had no control over her powers when in that state. Or maybe it was the being drunk part. Either way David knew he needed to get her home before she destroyed more public property.

"Calm down, sweetie," he said in the most soothing voice he had.

"I don't want to," Emma growled. "This is a thousand times better than getting depressed and crying. We did that earlier."

He noticed a small group gathering on the street. Ruby, a few dwarves and Tiny. It was almost 2am so he imagined they had been drinking late at Granny's well after closing. Emma hadn't the chance to run in to Tiny since she'd been back and he wondered how she'd take to seeing the giant now normal sized. She stopped dead in her tracks and pointed at Tiny with a lopsided grin.

"Well that's about right. Tiny is now…Tiny." Emma approached him and smacked him on the shoulder. "I'm too tired to care how you got here."

"Or too drunk." Ruby stepped up. "Emma Swan, get inside now so we can sober you up." She tried to pull on Emma's arm only to be slightly jolted by a force from Emma.

"Ooops." Emma chuckled and tried to steady herself.

"She can't control her magic." David tried to hold her up. "I think its best if we all leave her be. I'm gonna get her home now."

Coming up behind the crowd was Neal. He took a quick step towards Emma before Ruby put a hand on his shoulder. David wanted to pummel the man. Emma must have wanted to as well because she was trying to advance towards them. David held her back as she tried to make her way to them. What happened next…well there was no explanation for it. There was no way it could or should have happened. And yet…it did.

Emma glared at Neal then reached for her father's hand. He could see a tear fall down her face and her chin quiver. She squeezed his hand tightly.

"I just want to go home," she cried softly.

He felt a wind pick up and then it began to swirl. He pulled Emma close, afraid of losing her to the massive wind storm. David squeezed his eyes shut and didn't open them again until the wind was gone. He felt Emma's face buried in his chest. A breath caught in his throat when he saw they were standing in the middle of Emma's destroyed nursery. She looked up at him with wide eyes.

"Did..did I do…are we here because I wished it?" She pulled away. "You can't just wish something and have it come true." Emma was completely sober now.

"You wished to be here?" This made no sense to him.

"Yes. I don't know why I pictured this place from when we were here. But I imagined the four of us." She looked around. "I need to get back to Henry."

"Try to wish us back."

"You almost died in this room trying to save me." Emma closed her eyes becoming distracted by the thought of the battle that took place in this room. "You sacrificed your life for me. If it wasn't for Regina's curse you would be dead."

"I'd do it all again." David reached up to touch her cheek. "You and your mother had a moment here, didn't you?"

"Yeah. Something about this room. Just makes me an emotional sap." Emma wiped a tear from her eye. "I know I need to try to get us home. I know that. But, you made this perfect place for me and Regina and Gold destroyed it."

David watched her carefully. The room was dark. It was a wreck. Emma reached in to the crib and pulled out a unicorn from her mobile. It was broke in half. She held it tight in her hands, closed her eyes and opened it again. When she opened her hands he found the unicorn was now whole. She looked up with wonder in her eyes. She handed him the unicorn and picked up the mobile. Soon it was glistening and twinkling like the day they hung it over the crib.

"We'll give that to Mary Margaret." Emma smile widely nodding to David's hand. "I'm ready to go home to Mom and Henry."

David put the figurine in his pocket then held his daughter. He wanted to be back in this place but not this way. His whole family and all his friends needed to be with him. He kept his eyes on the now "repaired" mobile as he waited to see if Emma could get them back home.

"I want to be in Storybrooke with my Mom and Henry," she said loudly.

He held her tightly and again they were swept up by a strong wind. Was his daughter now a portal between the two worlds? He couldn't give it much more thought as they landed with a small thud. He was sitting in the middle of the street with Emma limp in his arms. She was breathing but unresponsive.

"Wake up, princess." He held her head trying to wake her up. Looking up he saw the group they left behind with Henry and Mary Margaret added in. Neal saw them first then ran up to them, sliding down next to Emma. "Get away from her," David hissed trying hard to hold tears in.

"Charming," Mary Margaret whispered holding on to Henry. "Is she…?"

"She's breathing. Just won't open her eyes." David lifted her up, with help from Neal. "Let's get her home."

"What happened, Gramps?" Henry questioned as he trailed behind.

"We will talk about it at home." David threw a look at Ruby as if to say we'll update you later. To Neal he said, "I'm not getting rid of you am I?"

"Absolutely not."

Perfect. When they reached the apartment Mary Margaret opened the door and he gently set his daughter on the couch. Perhaps she was merely sleeping. Mary Margaret threw a blanket on Emma and then stood close by while Henry sat by her head.

"Henry you should be in bed." David looked to his grandson. It was a stupid thing to say now but he should have been in bed to begin with.

"Ruby called as soon as…I had to wake up Henry so I could get down there." Mary Margaret moved a piece of hair from Emma's face.

"What happened?" Neal was pacing. "You were there, then you were gone. And she was blowing stuff up and tossed me across a room." He looked at the floor then back up. His forehead wrinkled. "And is she just sleeping or comatose? And why are we doing nothing?"

"Maybe the magic made her tired?" Henry offered, not taking his eyes off his mom.

"Magic? Emma can do magic? Just where did you go?" Neal sat down.

"Home." He looked his wife in the eye. "She was holding my hand and wished to go home. We ended up in the nursery. She said she pictured the four of us there. When we realized what she did…Oh what she can do." His eyes lit up as he pulled out the unicorn and handed it to his wife. "She did this." Mary Margaret didn't say a word. She cried and wrapped her hand around the figurine. "She 'repaired' the whole thing Snow. It was amazing. She is amazing. She wanted you to have that. Then she wished us home."

"My mom can travel between worlds?" Henry looked away from his mother and eyed the other adults. "Just by wishing? And she can fix things with magic?"

"Yeah, I think so, kid." David took a deep breath. "I think the magic did just tire her out." He pointed out when Emma rolled over, still sleeping. "She can't control it though. That is dangerous."

"She's the product of true love. She has powerful magic in her. She's going to learn how to use it." Henry stood up. David eyed him suspiciously. "In New York, Mr. Gold told me. He said she was very special and it would take time."

David took a seat. Of course, Rumplestiltskin knew this. He was pretty sure his face reflected Neal's. He felt bad in a way for him. As Baelfire he tried to leave the Enchanted Forest with his evil father to escape magic. And as Neal, he unexpectedly fell for the "savior" of the curse cast to find him. The 'savoir' with apparently some strong magic and Henry more than likely had some. The poor guy just wasn't mean to escape magic. David found himself smiling.

"Can we get back to the part where our daughter willed herself back there?" Snow cried. She looked down at Emma with concern. "We fought so hard to get back here. I don't get it."

David sighed. "In her mind right now, life would make more sense there. Us being her parents would be normal." He shot Neal a look. "Get away from all the bad memories I think. She's not as strong as we all think she is." Knowing his wife wouldn't like this, he still said it, "I think she really does want to go back now."

Mary Margaret and Neal started to protest. Henry seemed excited. David couldn't take the noise. Shaking his head at them and not wanting to fight, he lifted Emma and carried her to her room. He would sit with her until she woke up. No one and nothing would move him. He smiled when she snuggled into her pillow and made a soft moan. Yes, she'd be ok for now.

_**Neal**_

"How cool would it be though? To live in a castle?" Henry cried. There was so much excitement in his eyes.

"In a kingdom overrun by Ogres." Snow threw her hands in the air. "This is our home now, Henry."

"No, it's not." Henry balled up his fists. "What do you think will happen if people find us here? Find out what Ruby is?"

Neal watched the color drain from Snow's already pale face. If he remembered correctly from their talk on the fire escape Ruby was both Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf. Yes, it could be very bad if someone from the outside found out about her. She would be tested and dissected. Yet, Neal had to agree with Snow. The real world was his home now. He left because he didn't want magic in his life. Now he would never get away from it seeing as Emma was some kind of…well he wasn't sure what she was.

"Everyone wants to go back. Didn't you say that giant is growing magic beans for us? We can go back." Henry dropped in to Emma's vacated spot.

Neal slapped his hand on his thigh. He felt awkward in their home. He knew he didn't belong but he didn't belong at his father's either. He'd go check on Emma then try to find a hotel or something. Of course a chat with dear old dad was now in order. He followed the path the Prince took and found him standing guard over a sleeping Emma. He saw Neal in the doorway and before he could say anything, Neal threw his hands up in surrender.

"I just wanted to check in on her then I'll leave."

"Did you really love her?"

"More than life." Neal lowered his head thinking of the months after leaving Emma. "I tried to lose myself. It didn't work. I drank. Was reckless. I just wanted her back."

Her father crossed his arms. "Why'd you do it then? Why not find another way?"

"She needed a family. Her parents. I could never fill that void for her. I knew that feeling. I had a chance to help her. To get her home. I would have been selfish to keep her to myself." He tried to keep his emotions in check.

Prince Charming's tense body loosened a bit. "You really didn't think perhaps you could convince her yourself?"

"Are we talking about the same Emma?" Neal chuckled. "She would have called me insane. Besides, the son of the Dark One, the cause of the curse…not really the best person to be by her side." Neal felt uncomfortable under her father's deep stare. He seemed to be trying to piece something together.

"You still love her." It wasn't a question. It was a statement. Charming's voice held no anger or bitterness that it had been. When Neal didn't answer he spoke again. "I saw your face when we came back from our world. It was like you died when you saw her in my arms. I see it now."

"I have no right. I moved on. I thought home was our world and that she'd take everyone back. I waited for word. What town she'd be. I finally accepted that I'd never see her again. I met someone else and got engaged and tried to bury my feelings for her."

Emma's father leaned towards her after they both heard her whimper. He moved a piece of hair from her face and looked up at Neal. "You can't though, huh?"

"No." He pinched his lips together and shook his head. "It's stronger than ever. And she hates me and I'm engaged." He saw a notepad on the table next to her bed and quickly wrote his number on it. "You hate me I'm sure but could you let me know…"

"We'll see." Prince Charming took the paper then actually gave Neal a look of concern. "Watch out for Hook. He's out for your father's blood. I wouldn't put it past him to hurt you if he found out who you are."

Neal simply nodded his thanks and resisted the urge to kiss her. No, it was better to leave her alone. She wanted him out of her life. For now, he would give her space. Henry though, nothing could stop him from being with his son. He walked back to the living room where Snow and Henry were still sitting. He wanted to spend some time with his son but needed some answers from his father. Charming had mentioned Hook.

"Dad? Are you leaving?" Henry jumped up off the couch.

"Yeah, kid. I am. I have to talk to my father." Neal scrunched up his face like he ate a lemon which made Henry laugh. "You're mom will be ok. And you need to get back to bed. I'll come by soon to see you ok?"

"Ok," Henry agreed.

"David is just sitting up there?" Snow asked.

"I can call him David?" Neal asked. Charming sounded so…not something he wanted to call Emma's father. Snow nodded yes. "Thank you. It was so strange think I'd have to call him Prince Charming or Charming."

He saw Emma when Snow laughed. "Even in our world his real name, well real real name was David." She took a breath. "He went by James for a while. Anyway, we all have our real names and cursed names. You can call any of us by both if you want."

"I hope you don't mind but I may stick to your cursed names for now? While I am from there, it is just still too weird to call you guys that." He smiled at Snow, no Mary Margaret now. She smiled back.

They did look alike and while he hated himself for letting Emma go he couldn't say it was for nothing. She had her family. She found the parents who loved her and gave up their happiness for hers. The same couldn't be said for his. He gave his son a hug and waved goodbye to Mary Margaret and headed out the door. It didn't take long before he found himself outside of his father's house. Taking a deep breath he knocked.

"Bae?" His father opened a few minutes later. "I didn't expect to see you here. And this late. There was some commotion on the street early, were you part of that?"

"It was Emma. That magic she's got." He jammed his hands in his pockets. "It's going a little out of control. Can I come in?" His father ushered him and they were sitting at the kitchen table. "Emma's father said Hook was here. What does he want with you?" He wasn't beating around the bush.

"You know him?" Rumple questioned, leaning on his cane.

"My first sop wasn't here. I landed in Neverland and met Hook there. I didn't care for him much and he didn't care for me." Neal tried to remember his time in Neverland. Hook hated all of them. He hated Peter the most. And Neal was Peter's very best friend.

"Oh please tell me you are not – "

"Peter Pan? No. No. He was my friend though. Hook hated me for it. Hated us for getting in his way. I wanted to be in a land without magic but I landed in one and was stuck for years and years. I made the most of it." He rested his hand on a case. "Now, why is he out to get you?"

"I took his hand." Rumple's face was stone and Neal could tell there was more too it.

"You are the Crocodile!" Neal exclaimed. "He said a crocodile took his hand." He smiled at this for a minute then his face fell quickly. "Took his hand and the love of his life."

"I took his hand because he was withholding a magic bean I needed to get back to you." He moved to be closer to his son. "And love of his life was a horrible woman. She abandoned her family." A flicker of something, remembrance, regret, flashed through his eyes causing Neal to question what happened and who the woman was.

"That means you kill her?" Neal couldn't believe how simple it was for his father to say that. He forgot just how cold and callous the Dark One was. "What happened to Mama? When I followed you in…she was with those men. She left with them. I remember that. And they were dressed like Hook. You said she died." Neal searched his father's eyes for answers. "How did she die?"

"That was a lifetime ago, Bae. Let's no dredge up old –" Rumple looked small, almost childlike. He was scared.

"How did she die?" Neal's dark eyes were glistening. "Papa?"

"I took her heart!" Rumple yelled.

Neal jumped up from his seat. His father killed his mother? She wasn't the best mother. She was never home and when she came home she angry at his Papa. She hated her life and Neal remembered that she wanted out of it. She did. She ran off with Hook and when his father, rather the Dark One, found her he killed her. His father, real father, would have let her go and never bothered after that. No wonder Hook wanted him dead. Part of him thought maybe he shouldn't care if Hook found his father and killed him. And maybe he deserved it.

"You killed Mama?"

"She left us for him. I let Hook humiliate me and take your mother. I came upon them after you were gone. They had the magic bean I needed. I took Milah's heart and his hand. I suppose maybe I regret taking her heart. I do not regret taking his hand. I should have taken his heart too."

"You killed Mama?!" was all Neal could say.

"We already discussed this, Bae." Rumple tilted his head to the side. "If Hook knew who you were in Neverland you would have been dead. If he finds out who you are now he will try to kill you. He already caused me to lose Belle."

Neal didn't care who Belle was, but based on the stories he had read as a kid she had to be Belle from Beauty and the Beast and if it was really smart he could come to the conclusion that his father was the Beast. He didn't care much about anything having to do with his father right now. He was a monster just as he was back then. It didn't matter that he looked like his Papa and not the Dark One. And it didn't matter how badly he had fought to find him.

"I'm done. We are done." Neal stormed out of his house and down towards his car. It was too late to get a room anywhere so he was just going to sleep in it. It wouldn't be the first time. He slid in to the car and just wanted to relax. He jumped when his phone rang. He felt a pang when he realized it was Tamara calling. A pang of guilt because he wanted it to be someone about Emma. "Hey," he said softly.

"You never called me to let me know you got there ok. I was worried. When are you coming home?"

"I don't know. Things are complicated here." He felt bad. He didn't have a lot of time to explain things to her. He got a small chance the night they showed up. He told her about his dad and Emma and Henry finding him. He tried not to tell her about the magic and his real background.

"I can come there you know. I have some time off. I'd love to meet Henry and your father."

"I'll call and let you know ok?" Why didn't he want her here? They were going to get married, he should want her with him.

"I love you," she said softly.

"Same here." What? Why didn't he say it back? "I gotta go." And with that he was off the phone.

He reclined the seat and was getting ready to sleep. He was really in Storybrooke, the cursed town full of story book characters. For 28 years the people lived her in complete ignorance of who they really were. And Emma, his Emma, broke the curse that caused it. He was proud of her. She released them all from that prison. He wondered if August was in town. There were some words he'd like to have with him. Before he could think much more about it his phone went off revealing a text message.

"She's awake. Said you can come take Henry to breakfast tomorrow. Hurt him and I kill you."

Ha, well her father didn't hate him as much as he thought.


	4. Chapter 4

_Thank you to those who reviewed last chapter. It makes me smile when I get an email alert with a new review or follower. I hope you enjoy this one._

CHAPTER 4

_**Mary Margaret**_

Mary Margaret watched as her daughter wandered around the loft, in an almost zombie like state. She heard crying up stairs and ran up to find Emma and David in an embrace. It hurt a bit to see her leaning on David that way and not her but knew that her daughter yet to have father/daughter bonding. She was used to all the bonding time. She snuck out of the room and waited for them to come down. And there she was, watching her zombie daughter wandering.

"She's confused." David wrapped his arms around her.

"I think we all are." Mary Margaret leaned back in his embrace. "Is she ok?"

"She will be." He smiled. "She looked so happy and proud when she made the mobile look new. It was amazing really."

Mary Margaret slowly pulled away from her husband and looked him the eye. There was pride in his eyes. She feared however that his urge to go home was deeper now. She figured that they'd grow the beans that Tiny had the stalk for and then decide what to do with them. She was scared to go home. But now Emma and Henry and Charming all wanted to go there. She was outnumbered and it was her home too.

_**Emma**_

Emma finally felt refreshed the next day after her little adventure. She vaguely remembered wandering around the loft like Snow said she did. She remembered a dream however. Her father and Neal were talking. He said he still loved her. It was just a dream. Besides, she hated him. She felt sad knowing Henry was with him right now at Granny's. Neal probably didn't expect David to be trailing behind but with the Evil Family and Hook lurking around Emma wasn't taking chances.

"Want me to make you some lunch?"

"I'm not hungry." Emma sat down next to Mary Margaret on the couch. "I'm sorry."

"What for?"

"Going back there. Taking him with me. I didn't know it was going to happen." Emma leaned forward and put her head in her hands. "It hasn't been easy for him, has it?" She now looked at her mother. "You and I had a year of bonding. I mostly disliked him for hurting you."

"He understands, Emma." Mary Margaret put her arm around Emma and pulled her close. "He just wants to protect you."

"If the curse hadn't happened when it did, he would be dead. He was in the coma because he fought for me. To get me to the wardrobe." Emma didn't say anything for a minute or two. "I always wanted…," she paused again. "A daddy who would protect me like he does. Who called me his Princess."

"Oh, Emma." Mary Margaret held her tighter. "You are his Princess. You will always be and he will never stop fighting for you or trying to protect you. Same goes for me." She placed a kiss on the top of her head.

She pulled away from her mother. The mushy talk getting to her. It was too much of an emotional roller-coaster. She hated this feeling. She wished she had never owed Gold a favor and that she never found Neal. While Henry was happy it was creating problems. The magic she had in her hadn't been an issue until she saw Neal. Now it was going haywire. She needed to try to get it under control. She looked at a glass vase on the table and willed it move. It exploded.

"Ah!" Mary Margaret screamed.

"Sorry." Emma frowned. She got up and went to change. "When do you think Henry will be home?" She asked coming down from her room. Mary Margaret was cleaning the mess. "I think I need to talk to him."

"David should be bringing him back anytime now. David said they lost track of time talking. He was getting bored nursing his cup of coffee," she laughed.

Emma just nodded and waited. She didn't get a chance to talk to him yet. They came home and she fell asleep crying on her father then when she woke up she got drunk off her butt and somehow wished herself back to the Enchanted Forest. She really needed to make sure they were ok. It was obvious her lying had upset him but her whisking him away from New York just compounded the problem.

"MOM!" Henry yelled as he flung himself at her breaking her out of her thoughts.

"Hey kid." She hugged him back and watched as her parents moved to their room.

"What was it like? To jump worlds? It's so cool." Henry started to ramble.

"Slow down there." She smiled. It was like she never lied to him but sadly she did and once the awesomeness of her new power wore off Henry would be back to being mad at her. "We can talk about that later. I need to know how you feel about your dad. And me. You are still mad me, aren't you?"

"Maybe," he whispered.

"It's ok to be upset with me. I lied to you about your father."

"Neal told me not to be mad at you. He told me what happened. I guess I can see why you lied. I'm trying not to be mad."

"I know." She smoothed his hair. "I lied to protect myself but it was to protect you too. I didn't think you needed to know your father was the reason I gave birth to you in jail. I was wrong. And I'm very sorry."

"Ok." Henry jumped a bit on the couch. "I can't believe he was like that. He's soooo cool."

Emma laughed. She thought Neal was sooo cool at one point in time. She could see how he had won Henry over so quickly and he did win points for coming clean to the kid about what he did to her. She let Henry ramble on and on about his morning with his dad. His excitement was overflowing. If one good thing came out of finding Neal, this was it. She could hear her parents discussing a plan of action against Cora and crew but it was hard to plan an offensive when the enemy was staying hidden.

"What do you say you and I just hang out in the apartment the rest of the day?" Emma suggested. "We haven't had any real chance to just hang out."

"Can I pick the card game?" Henry didn't for an answer and ran up to their room for what Emma assumed was a deck of cards.

_**Emma**_

Yesterday with Henry had been amazing. Just playing cards and forgetting about the world was something she wished they could do more. But, now it was back to the real world. Her desk looked like a filing cabinet threw up. How in the world was there this much paperwork and why hadn't her acting Sheriff, aka dad, taken care of it? Oh, easy. He was busy trying to keep the town safe from a giant and other big bads.

These papers were the last thing she cared about. Cora and Hook were plotting and who knew what Regina was really up to. At least Hook couldn't get hook-happy as his "prosthetic" hand was locked safely away in her desk. Casting a quick glance down at the drawer she smiled. Emma then grabbed a box and slid the papers in it deciding they would be there for later.

"I like that method of record keeping." She hadn't heard that voice since before the she broke the curse. He was no longer wood.

"You little…." Emma swiftly got out of her chair and moved towards him.

"Good to see you too." August's voice held signs of nervousness.

"Just where do you get off?" Emma poked him in the chest. "Playing God?" She pushed him hard catching him off guard and making him stumble backwards. "You had no right!"

Oh, just keep calm. She didn't want a repeat of the other night. No blown up street lamps. No wishing herself back to the Enchanted Forest. Calm was the way to go. Yet, looking at the face of the man she once considered a friend but who had ruined her life made her want to wish him back to wood.

"Listen, Emma. I know you are angry. But, just hear me out." He cursed when she pushed him yet again in to the wall.

"Angry? Me?" She raised an eyebrow. "Why would I be angry? You just ruined my life." She felt her hands tingle. "I could have raised my son with Neal. We could have come here as a family, August."

August side-stepped her in an attempt to get out of her way. Emma followed him towards the door.

"I did what I had to do."

"Did you really? Have to?" She hissed.

"Ok, well I can see this is getting us nowhere. How about we discuss this another day." August now had the front door to the station open. He was half in, half out.

"Or I wish you in to wood and the conversation is over for ever." She crossed her arms over her chest. It was an idle threat. She would never do that even if it was something her magical powers let her do. She laughed a bit when he stumbled back as the door opened further. And the hits kept on coming.

"I really need to talk to you about Hook." Neal barged past August and straight to Emma. It was only when her arm whipped behind to him to grab a retreating figure did he seem to notice him. No words were spoken, unless you called Neal's fist connecting with August's nose.

"Tag. You're it." She nodded to Neal and headed back in.

They could duke it out. She didn't hear any yelling or fighting. It made her sad in a way. She wanted Neal to be just as angry as she was. Maybe he was really over it, them. Which she was too. Of course. She just didn't want to be the only one with anger issues over August and his role in the destruction of their relationship. Of course Neal was over it all. He was engaged.

Emma grabbed her jacket and keys and headed back out. She found Neal and August in a heated yet whispered conversation a little ways away. She locked the doors and hoped neither of them saw her.

"And you keep 20 thousand for yourself? That's really taking care of her, man." Neal's voice grew louder. "I don't care if you thought she needed to struggle. She had a kid. Our kid. Did you once…just once check on her after she got locked up?"

Emma didn't want to hear the answer. August had been tasked with taking care of her and repeatedly he failed her. She could blame him when he was a child but grown up August…he was a crap "Guardian Angel". He was worse than Neal. The only man who was ever truthful to her was Graham, well after she found him having an affair with the Mayor. And he was dead. In another life she could have truly loved him. If only stupid Neal Cassidy hadn't ruined her expectations of love.

She found herself at Granny's. Needing to satisfy her sweet tooth she ordered a slice of blueberry pie to go. The rest of her family was home still strategizing. She thought about grabbing a pie but remembered Mary Margaret had baked cookies with Henry in another attempt at normalcy. She ate as she walked.

"Can you believe his nerve?" Neal came walking up behind her.

"I enjoyed the possible broken nose you gave him." She bit down on her fork.

"He had it coming." He fell in step with her. "I really do need to talk to you about Hook. I wanted to do it yesterday but figured you needed a day."

Emma stopped in the middle of the empty road. Now what did he need to know that Gold didn't already fill him in on.

"Look, he has his own agenda. He'll play whichever side that will help him get your father. That means siding with Cora." Emma starting walking again.

"No, I know all that. I mean with you and him." Neal flinched at the look she gave him. "I know he came back when you did and that you dealt with him over there. He's a womanizer and will do and say anything…"

"You think I didn't catch on to that during the 10 or so hours I spent with him climbing up giant bean stalk and stealing from a giant?" She took another bit of the pie. It was giving her something else to focus on. "He's a flirt. It's amusing. That's all. And I don't need to justify anything." She came to a sudden halt when he pulled on her arm.

"Once he knows I am here he will try to lure you away Emma. It's not just my dad he hates, ok?"

"Lure me? To where? The Jolly Roger where will fall in love and sail away to Neverland?" She busted up laughing then calmed down. "I've outsmarted him before. I can handle him. It's Cora that we really need to worry about." She took a minute then it finally hit her. "Wait a minute, you know Hook?"


	5. Chapter 5

_Thank you so much yet again for the reviews, you guys rock __Thanks for the new followers and those who added this as their favorite. I want to thank Meresger for allowing me to steal the wording I used for Neal's "abridged version" of how he knew Hook. I hope everyone enjoys this next chapter. I feel bad for poor Emma, I put her on an emotional rollercoaster (add in what happened with August in the previous chapter)._

CHAPTER 5

_**Neal**_

"Wait a minute, you know Hook?"

Oh here we go. Neal led them to a nearby bench and readied himself for whatever kind of reaction Emma may have. He watched as she nervously stabbed at the remaining half of her pie. He couldn't allow that pie abuse to continue so he took the container and closed it.

"Abridged version goes like this - he was doing my mom a couple hundred years ago, before my dad killed her aboard Hook's fancy enchanted pirate ship and he crashed the party in Neverland, which was NOT cool at all." Neal smirked trying to make light of it all.

"Can I get the unabridged version please?" Emma was not amused.

"I ended up in Neverland after leaving our world. The Blue Fairy promised me a land without magic and I wound up in Neverland. A place where no one grows old. No magic my a…anyway Hook showed up not longer after I did."

Her eyes grew wide. "You are not – "

"My dad asked me the same thing. No." He laughed. "Come on. Me? Peter Pan? Peter was my friend." Neal found himself smiling at the thought of his friend.

"You were a lost boy." Emma shook her head as if trying to understand it all. "Ok, yeah so that makes sense why you didn't age."

"I started aging when I left. Tinkerbelle," he stopped when he saw Emma hold back a laugh. "Don't laugh." He smiled at her though. "Tinkerbelle sent me to this world. I looked like my 14 year old self. She wouldn't say why she was sending me here just that one day the Blue Fairy could answer everything."

"Mother Superior." Emma grabbed her pie from Neal. "That's who she is here."

"Perfect. Now, back to Hook. I helped Peter thwart his plans time and time again. After Peter I was next in line if Hook had a most wanted list in Neverland."

He wasn't sure if Hook would kill Emma, but after another chat with his father yesterday and with Henry he learned more of some of what Hook had been up to. He hurt Belle to get to his father. There really was no telling how far he would go. And now he had his eye on his Emma.

"And your father killed your mother because she was sleeping with Hook?"

"Pretty much. When I was little I remember I followed him to this tavern where she liked to go. I saw Hook with her and Papa had me wait outside. He came out without her. A few days later he told me she died. I guess she ran off with Hook." Neal slumped his shoulders. "After he became the Dark One he found Hook and knew he had a magical bean needed to find me. He found my mother with him. He took her heart and Hook's hand."

"I'm so sorry, Neal." Emma looked at him softly.

"Yeah, me too." He picked himself up. "He doesn't know who I was outside of Neverland but I'd say that he'll hate me for who my parents are. My father for being the monster who killed my mom and me for being part of the reason she died."

"It wasn't your fault you know." She looked at him as if waiting for him to acknowledge what she said. He simply nodded. She must have taken pity on him because he handed him the rest of her pie.

"Is this a peace offering?" He eyed her suspiciously.

"I feel bad for Baelfire, the boy who watched his father choose magic over him." She took a deep breath. "Do I feel bad for Neal Cassidy? No."

"Well, I'll take it as a peace offering anyway." He flashed her smile and took a big forkful. "Does anyone eat apple around here?"

"Funny." Emma stood up ready to walk away. "And no. Not anymore."

He enjoyed seeing the small smile on her face. She wasn't mad like she had been recently. Maybe now was a good time to tell her that Tamara was headed in to town. He already told Henry all about her. Henry seemed ok with it. Perhaps if he could catch Emma in a good mood like this it would keep her from getting angry. He already knew how she felt about outsiders.

"I'll be extra careful about our favorite one handed bandit, ok?" She smiled down at him then turned around and began to walk away.

"Tamara will be in town soon." There. He said it. He watched her shoulders tense.

"Your Hook talked might have been better suited for her." Emma's voice was flat. She didn't turn around but continued on her way.

He was sure he could hear her mumbling to herself. Ok, so she wasn't happy. Nothing blew up like the other night. He kept an eye on her and noticed her body was still tense. Neal jumped when a mail box was thrown a few feet down the street. Ok, maybe he spoke too soon. She shook her arms and he saw the tension go away. It both saddened and worried him that she couldn't control her magic due to her emotions. He kept an eye on her and felt on edge the moment a brunette walked confidently up to Emma. He didn't know what Regina looked like but he was pretty sure she was the one standing in front of Emma. He knew the look on her face. She wanted to stir up trouble.

"I see you are back." Regina's hands were in her coat pocket. "I want to see my son."

"Hey Emma, one more thing." He slid up to Emma pretending like he hadn't overheard what Regina just said. He quickly turned his attention to Regina. "Oh, I'm sorry. Did I interrupt something?"

"I'm fine. You can go," Emma whispered.

"You're new. I don't know you." She eyed Neal in a way he was sure was meant to be menacing. "So, if you'll excuse us Miss Swan and I have some personal matters to discuss."

"Look, Regina. We know you didn't kill Archie. I'm sure you can understand why we didn't believe you." Emma stood tall. "But with your mother can you honestly say it's safe for you to be around Henry?"

"Not safe?" Her voice laced with venom. "My son is safest with me. You and your family of idiots are not equipped to keep him safe from anything." She leaned in. "I mean they put you in a tree and let you go who knew where all by yourself."

Neal had enough. He didn't care how powerful this woman was. She was not going to taunt and threaten Emma. He took a quick step and placed himself in between the two women which earned a snicker from Regina and a gentle touch on his back from Emma.

"You have this man fighting your battles now?" She was no focused solely on Neal. "Who are you?"

"Henry's father." Neal made sure his voice held authority so she knew he was to be taken seriously. "Now you listen to me. You and your mother will fail at whatever little scheme you have going. And Henry is OUR son and no one, not even an evil magical queen like you can do anything about it." He had placed air quotes when he said "evil magical queen". To him she was just a pathetic woman who hid behind magic.

"Oh, but you are wrong. You have no clue."

"Lady. You don't scare me." He paused as if for effect. "Oooh, you are evil and can do dark magic. Join the club." Ok, so why was he picking a fight. Honestly though, she did not scare him. The Dark One did. She was just his opening act's opening act. Cora being the opening act. The only thing that worried him was what she could do to his family.

"Hmm…interesting." She peeked around to Emma who then moved to stand next to Neal.

He heard Emma take a deep breath and could feel the anger radiating off of her. He really hoped she didn't do anything stupid. She wasn't controlled and Regina was highly controlled and skilled. Her fists were clenched then she loosened them and sighed.

_**Emma**_

This little run in with Regina was getting irritating. She didn't want to add fuel to her fire but also was tired of sitting back and letting Regina run the show. And Neal had to swoop in and try to help. If that's what you call help. There was a question she had been dying to ask. A conversation she wanted to have with Regina once she knew the truth. Something in her head told her to bring it up now.

"You enacted this curse to punish my mother. You did so much to punish her. You had your memories this whole time. Your hatred didn't die just a little seeing how she and my father were living apart? That wasn't enough to satisfy your hate?" Emma saw people who walked by gawk and stare.

"No, it wasn't. I will destroy her happiness. Time doesn't erase what she did to me."

"She slipped up and accidentally told a secret. One that your mother coaxed out of her. Do you think that she didn't feel bad about it once she knew what happened? She loved you once. Did you know that? At one time, she really loved you." Emma was trying to be calm about this. Her mother never really wanted to address this. From the stories and what she knew Mary Margaret just accepted that Regina hated her for telling a secret and being prettier than her.

"She didn't love me. She only loved her dear dead mother and her father. I didn't exist." Regina actually sounded small.

"Think what you want. But she did. And before then she thought she was helping you by telling Cora about Daniel. She was an innocent little girl. What, about Henry's age? And to repay her for trying to help you, you set out to destroy her and advance herself? Kill her father to be queen, send Graham to kill her and bring back her heart but he was too good of a man to do that. You poisoned her. You cursed her. All of this crap you did over an innocent slip of the tongue?"

"Daniel died because of her!" Regina yelled, loosing her composure.

"Because of your mother! She was the one who ripped out his heart and reduced it to ashes. She should have been the one you sought to destroy." Neal spoke up. Apparently Henry gave him the rundown.

Regina didn't respond which started to worry Emma. She just looked at the two of them. She knew Regina had been willing to try to give up magic for Henry. Emma never fully trusted her but Regina did help when they were stuck in the Enchanted Forest. She wanted to give her the benefit. Then Cora pretended to kill Archie disguised as Regina and no one believed her and now with Cora in Regina's life there was no way Emma was giving her any kind of benefit. She was a loose cannon. A loose cannon that wanted Henry.

"How lovely of you to try to defend your mother." Regina finally spoke up. "We'll pick up this discussion about Henry later. For now, I must return to mother. I mustn't leave her to her own devices for too long." She started to walk away then turned back around. "I'd recommend sending Gold back to New York. He and this whole town are a lot safer if he is away from magic."

Emma raised her eyebrow as Regina turned and walked away. Was that a threat or some kind of helpful clue? At this point Emma didn't care. She wanted to get home to Henry. She shivered thinking of all the horrible things Cora could be planning. She knew Neal was following her as she continued her walk home. He wasn't at her side and he kept his distance but she could feel him. She smiled. He was making sure she got home safe. She turned the corner and was jerked roughly in to an alley.

"What the hell?" Emma cursed and was ready to punch her would be assailant.

"Hello, love."

"How are your ribs?" Emma smirked at Hook who was still hookless.

"They are tender and sore." Hook gave her a seductive smile. "Would you care to nurse me back to health?"

"Emma?!" Neal came running in to the alley. His eyes widened at the sight of Hook.

"It's all good." She smiled.

"And who might this lad be? Are you cheating on me dear Emma?" Hook was smiling but eyeballing Neal.

"This is a friend. Friend meet Captain Hook."

"I'd shake your hand friend but the lovely Sheriff won't give me my hook back." Hook had offered his stub to Neal.

"Yeah, that's fine." Neal nodded and stepped back.

"If you are bothering me for your hook forget it. Find something else." Emma tried to ignore the fact that Neal and Hook were within fighting distance but Hook had no clue who he had so close. "I've had a long day. You are the third." She counted in her head. August. Neal. Regina. No not third. "No, you are the fourth person who has caught me off guard today. I don't like that."

"Oh, I know." Hook's eyes twinkled. "I hear our friend the giant is growing a new beanstalk. Shall we take the maiden climb when it's full grown?"

"Want me to break another rib? Get to it. What do you want?"

"Oh, you are no fun." Hook looked between Emma and Neal. "I want my crocodile. Cora isn't playing nice so I have a choice to make. I give up my quest for revenge on him temporarily and keep Cora from becoming the next Dark One or I stay on course and hope that Cora doesn't find that bloody dagger and kill everyone. In the interest of self preservation…I may have to go with the first option."

Oh, hell. Cora. Dark One? If Hook was being honest and by the look on his face he was then they had big problems. She could see the concern in Neal's eyes.

_**Neal**_

This was just unbelievable. Cora wanted the Dark One's dagger? Who would want that curse? That was the curse of all curses. He now found himself in his father's shop with the whole Charming family. Henry was in the back room with Ruby. Emma looked downright exhausted. If he put himself in her shoes it had to have been one big emotional rollercoaster of a day. He wanted to tell her to get some sleep but knew it would be useless.

"So, how can we stop this?" Snow asked.

"Well dearie. They want my dagger which they are not going to get. We have two very powerful women. And me against them." His father threw a glance at Emma. "If this one could get hers under control it might be help."

"I can't. I've tried." Emma leaned against a display case. "I can blow things up and apparently transport myself to your realm."

"Our realm," David corrected.

"Well, if they want a fight I'm at your side." Neal finally spoke up. "I won't let them hurt my family."

He sat back and listened to all the options. Snow kept repeating that Cora had to die and David kept saying that she couldn't live with herself. What? Were these people Saints? Sure, murder is not something he condoned. It wasn't murder to get rid of Cora. She was out to destroy them all. He thought perhaps Regina was just along for the ride and that if she could be separated from her mother she may no longer help her. This was not helping at all. No one could find a good way to end the insanity.

He stopped paying attention. Neal vaguely remembered Snow storming out of the store. That became a big topic of conversation. Emma shook him out of his trance by thrusting a sword at him.

"Can you use this?"

"Yes." He nodded.

"Good." David added. "Gold, you stay here with Henry and Ruby."

Neal followed Emma and David out of the store. They filed in to David's truck. It was a tight fit, what with the swords and all. Emma filled him in seeing as he had zoned out. Mary Margaret had run off to Regina's family mausoleum after Gold told her that Cora kept her heart in a box there. David didn't want her to going alone or doing something she'd regret. When they reached the cemetery they piled out of the truck and made their way to the mausoleum. Standing outside were Cora and Regina.

"Oh, my dear Baelfire." Cora smiled. "It's true. Your father brought you back."

"Mother?" Regina turned her head to her mother, clearly not understanding anything.

"Meet Rumplestilskin's long lost son." Cora stepped down a step. "He's the reason Rumple created the Dark Curse." She scanned the small group. "We are missing someone. Where is my sweet sweet Snow?"

"Right here," Snow said from behind the two women. She held a red beating heart. Neal could see she was trembling. "You won't stop, will you?"

Neal had his sword ready. He didn't like that Mary Margaret was on the other side of them. David obviously didn't either. It was if he was watching a movie. It couldn't be real. His son's grandmother was not holding his adoptive grandmother's heart. He kept his eyes ahead and lurched forward when Cora threw Mary Margaret back in the crypt. The heart had flown out and rolled down the stairs. David ran to get to Mary Margaret. Cora was heading towards her heart but it appeared its roll in the dirt was causing her some pain. He felt a cold wind and then it was as if Mother Nature unleashed her fury. The sky got dark and it began to pour. Thunder could be heard. He looked at Emma who was staring at her parents fighting off Regina and couldn't help but notice the fury in her eyes.


	6. Chapter 6

_I'm posting a new chapter earlier than I usually do as thanks to the few who have reviewed every chapter that I've uploaded so far. The fact that you have followed from the beginning and let me know that you enjoy each chapter means so much to me. I appreciate all reviews/comments as they are what make we want to continue._

_There will be a few dreams in this chapter and you will know as the text is in italics. _

_I have about 3 or 4 more chapters done so perhaps if I get enough reviews on this one I'll post another on Monday. If, not that's fine. I promise not to hold any chapter hostage haha it just might not get uploaded as quickly since it still needs proofread._

CHAPTER 6

_**Emma**_

She saw Cora's heart roll down the steps and rest in the dirt. Her father rushed past Regina to reach her mother who had been blasted back in to the mausoleum. This was it. She knew she should take the heart yet her anger took over. She felt the sky open up and heard the crack of the thunder. Neal flew by her and snatched the heart much to Cora's displeasure. He had his sword ready to fight Cora if needed. If only Emma could channel her anger…

"Give it to me." Cora had her hand extended.

"You want this?" Neal hissed and began to squeeze it. Cora cried in pain.

"You'll give it to me now." Cora yelled.

Emma felt the power in her dissolve and felt something new. She was now off her feet and felt tension on her neck.

"Let my daughter go!" Mary Margaret screamed. Emma choked louder. "Neal, give her the heart!"

Emma shook her head no. Instead she watched as Neal handed it over to Regina. Cora didn't let her grasp on Emma go. She could breathe but it was labored. She tried to wish herself out of this situation but it didn't work. She was stuck.

"Before I kill your daughter then kill your handsome Charming, let me tell you something." Cora walked down towards Mary Margaret. "I killed your mother."

"Why?" Mary Margaret cried. Tears rolling down her face even more.

"Well, because I wanted my daughter to be queen. She couldn't do it with your mother alive now could she?"

"You did all of this, mother?" Regina looked at her mother's heart then up to Emma. "You made me queen. You made it so I saved Snow that day. I bet you even knew about Daniel and I before Snow told you but you used it to your advantage."

"You would never rule the Kingdom with her alive. That little brat didn't deserve to be Queen. Her mother was cruel to me and I vowed my daughter would take the crown while Queen Eva's daughter had nothing. I simply laid the groundwork for you to get the life you deserved."

Emma felt her hold get tighter. Cora was going to kill her. That was for sure. Neal was helpless, though she knew he was desperately trying to help. No matter what she tried to do she couldn't use her magic with Cora possessing her.

"I didn't want that life! I only wanted Daniel." Regina seemed to be studying her mother. "What did Queen Eva do that was so cruel?"

"She tripped me in front of everyone. I had to bow to her and apologize. I promised I would never let anyone make me feel the way she did again." She seemed proud to explain this to her daughter.

A tear fell down Regina's face. "You ruined everyone's lives because you were tripped?" Her voice cracked. "You used me, mother. This wasn't for me but for you. You made your revenge mine."

They all watched in complete silence as Regina tightened her hand around her mother's heart. Cora fell to her knees at the same time Emma did. Neal was at her side. Regina knelt next to her mother and squeezed tighter.

"I love you. But you are poison."

"You ungrateful," Cora managed to say.

"Good Bye Mother." Regina didn't open her hand until there was black ash. She took a quick look at the group then walked away with tears in her eyes.

She felt Neal cupping her face, searching her eyes. All she could do was stare at Cora's body. The storm still raged outside and even more so inside her. Cora's touch kept her from transporting or whatever it was. She had magic but was unable to control it. She couldn't stop Cora and if it hadn't been for Regina she would have been dead. Neal was begging her to speak and she felt her parents next to her as well. All she could do was stare at the now dead Cora, the cause of everything bad that happened to her mother and the whole Enchanted Forest.

"Emma, please. Calm down." Mary Margaret was shaking her. "Honey, you really to take a deep breath."

"The storm is getting worse," David yelled. "EMMA?!"

Emma got up on her knees. Down in the pits of that mausoleum were people's hearts. Like Cora's. Did Regina even know who they belong to? Probably not. How many people in Storybrooke where walking around without their hearts. People like Graham. Good people like Graham. If only she and Neal had made it to Tallahassee. She felt a tremble go through her body.

"Neal, watch out!" Mary Margaret screamed.

She heard the crack of something. Not thunder. She snapped her head back. David had pulled Mary Margaret back and she could feel Neal trying to drag her away. The cracking noise was above them. She looked up and tree was split and dangerously close to falling on them. Emma took in everything around. It was as if a tornado hit. She closed her eyes tight and everything quieted. Her body jerked violently and she landed on a soft body. Then a loud thud.

Opening her eyes she looked right in to Neal's. His arms held on to her tightly. The storm was gone and twisting her head back she saw a rather large tree on the ground mere inches from them. She had been the cause. What was she becoming? Every part of her being was exhausted and she felt funny and tired. Emma dropped her head on Neal's chest before her world went black.

_**Mary Margaret**_

It had been three days. Three days and Emma was still asleep. Henry had been staying with Neal at Granny's. It was too much for him to see her just laying in bed. It was too much for them all really but Mary Margaret was her mother and as a mother she would sit by her daughter's bedside. With the Cora danger gone she and David were free to worry solely on their daughter.

Dr. Whale had come over when they brought her home from the cemetery. He said she should wake up and that her vitals were good. When she didn't wake up the next day he said things still looked good but hooked her up to an IV for nutrients. He had shown them how to replace the bags and would be back to check on her if she hadn't woken up today.

Gold came over that first night as well. He concluded that with all the emotions going on that day and the days before and with the amount of magic she used to create the massive tornado like storm that she would be out for a few days. He showed actual concern for Emma and said he could do magic to wake her up but that her body and most importantly her mind needed the rest.

"Any change?" David came in to the apartment and sat next to Mary Margaret at Emma's bedside.

"No." She held Emma's hand. "David, her magic. If she can't control it…"

"Let's concentrate on her waking up ok? And she will. Like Gold said. It was emotional overload and the magic she wasn't used to using. We need to give her the rest she needs. If she doesn't wake up by tomorrow…then we worry." He kissed his wife.

"Ok." She didn't take her eyes off her daughter. "How's Henry?"

"Good. He's having fun with Neal but misses us and Emma. Regina was at Granny's when I showed up." He paused while Mary Margaret mumbled something. "She saved us. We have to be thankful for that. Neal was keeping an eye on her and Henry needed it I think after finding out what she did to help us."

Mary Margaret set Emma's hand down and stood up. She needed a drink. David followed her in to the kitchen where she grabbed them both water. She placed both hands on the counter, dropped her head down and pushed back. She had a feeling in the pit of her stomach that things were only going to get worse. She lifted her head and one look at David confirmed it.

"I told Neal to let her come."

"Why? Why would you do that?" She stood up straight. "Emma is not in the best of emotional states and you think letting his fiancé come to town is going to help her? She is in love with him. If anyone knows that look, David, it's us."

"Snow," he sighed. "I know. But if he doesn't bring her she's just going to show up. We'll help Emma when she wakes up. But the truth of it is, he's engaged to someone else. And unless he breaks it off and they smarten up and see what we see then we can't do anything about it."

Mary Margaret wanted to cry for Emma. True love was the one thing everyone ached to have. They had it together. Emma was proof of that. Neal and Emma…well maybe they didn't recognize it because the curse and August pulled them apart but they were meant to be. It was true love for them but it would also be a struggle. Mary Margaret and David knew this. True love was worth anything, but it didn't make the pain lessen.

"Tell him to keep their distance from Emma and Henry comes home if she's in town." She saw David's face and she didn't care how that sounded. Neal may be his father but she was his grandmother and knew exactly what Emma would want.

_**Emma**_

_Emma was washing the dishes when Henry came running across the back yard, his bookbag swinging with the movement. She smiled knowing how excited he'd be to tell her about his day. He threw the door open to the kitchen and tossed his bag to the floor before grabbing a juice box from the refrigerator._

_"When will dad be home?" He asked._

_"Same time he always is." She gave him a quick hug then nudged him to the living room. "Your bag," she said handing him his school bag._

_Henry did what little homework a 10 year old had. Emma started on dinner. Neal would be home soon and they'd eat dinner, play a game with Henry and relax before bed. She wouldn't trade this life for anything._

_"Honey, I'm home!" Neal bellowed as he closed the front door. She heard him greet Henry then felt him beside her. He stole a tomato from the salad she was making. "Missed you guys."_

_"You've only been gone since this morning," she laughed._

_"Can't a man miss his wife and child?" He kissed her neck then rolled up his sleeves to help her._

_**Mary Margaret**_

Mary Margaret watched her daughter sleep. A small smile appeared on Emma's face and she assumed she was having a good dream. Her eye caught sight of the now wilting rose Henry left for Emma 3 days ago. It was time to get rid of it. Mary Margaret picked up the vase and touched Emma's hand one last time before leaving.

"I love you Neal," Emma sighed contently.

Mary Margaret watched in awe as the flower rejuvenated. She was still holding Emma's hand. Even in her sleep should could do magic. She had to share this with David.

_**Emma**_

_"Ready to go to our new home?" Neal asked as they were packed in the car._

_Emma smiled at him then looked at Henry who was beyond excited. Tallahassee had been their home since Henry was born. Neal had decided they needed a change and that Henry would be better off in a small town. He picked a place called Storybrooke. Emma couldn't find it on a map. This was a new adventure and anywhere Neal and Henry were was home._

_**Mary Margaret**_

She paced the small space between the front door and kitchen. The rose was still in her hand. David needed to hurry up and get home. This was too amazing not to share. She wished Emma had been awake when she revived the flower so she could see that her magic could be good and not always violent.

"What happened? Is Emma awake?" David asked after bursting through the door.

"No." Mary Margaret smile brightly then held out the flower. "It was wilted so I going to throw it away. She was dreaming of Neal, calling his name in her sleep. When I touched her hand…this…happened."

"Even in her sleep?" David looked at the flower. "It's amazing."

"And dangerous. What if she has a bad dream?" Mary Margaret's smile faded.

"Baby steps." David kissed her on the forehead. "I wanna check on her." He held his hand out and together they went to Emma's room. "She looks so happy and peaceful."

Mary Margaret agreed. Emma looked calm and peaceful. A look she wasn't sure she really ever saw on Emma's face. She started to move about and moaned. Mary Margaret moved closer to see tears falling. She now looked pained. David was whispering to Emma telling her she was safe and everything was ok. She started to settle down and the tears stopped.

"Emma?" David whispered.

Her eyes were fluttering. Mary Margaret watched her closely. They thought she was waking up but instead she snuggled herself in to her pillow and back in to the deep sleep she had been in. Mary Margaret sighed as she leaned in to David. She just wanted to see Emma wake up but it appeared she wasn't ready yet.


	7. Chapter 7

_Thank you for the reviews and for all those reading. As promised, here is the next chapter. I hope you enjoy! As always, reviews/comments/constructive criticism/suggestions are welcome._

CHAPTER 7

_**Neal**_

His mind raced. David called and said Emma woke up at about the same time Tamara showed up. Henry had already gone home before she arrived but Neal had been conflicted with that decision to send him home. He wanted Henry to meet Tamara yet knew the kid missed his mom and grandparents. And now here Tamara was, unpacking a small bag and all Neal wanted to do was see Emma.

"You look a million miles away." Tamara forced him to look at her. "I thought you'd be happy I was here."

"I am." Neal forced a smile. "Henry's mom has been really sick the last few days. I just found out she's gotten better." A small lie wouldn't hurt.

"Oh." Tamara smiled. "Well that's good to hear. I'd think you'd be happy about that too you know, for Henry's sake."

"I am." He grabbed his coat. "Let's go get something to eat and I'll show you the town."

Neal led her to Granny's dinner. He was worried it might be awkward. He was new to this town. No one knew who he really was yet and Emma was well liked. And here he was…an outsider to them brining in another outsider. He had given Tamara a brief lie of a background. She knew his real name and that he ran away from home but no more than that. Ruby, thanks to David, spread the word of the newest outsider so everyone was on their best behavior.

"Neal," Ruby greeted. "I'll be with you in a sec."

"They know you already?" Tamara looked amused as she took a seat.

"Yeah. Emma's sister…" another lie "…and Ruby are best friends." Sister, yes that was much better. He couldn't very well say mother.

He needed to keep up the charade for two days then Tam would be home. Then he would have to make a decision. Would he be able to tell her the whole truth and ak her to move here with him so he could be with Henry or continue lying and move back to New York and only see Henry every so often. There was a third option but Neal really didn't want to think of losing her.

"What can I get you?" Ruby came up to them. She was eyeing Tamara.

"I'd love a frappacino." Tamara smiled at Ruby.

"I have regular or decaf coffee." Ruby was not amused.

"We'll just take two waters and the menu please," Neal spoke up.

Ruby walked away leaving them alone. They fell in to a comfortable conversation about Henry. They had finished their meal and were getting to ready to leave when Neal felt someone standing behind him. Tamara's eyebrows lifted in amusement. It didn't take long to learn the person behind him was Hook.

"Yet another beauty this town has to offer." Hook dropped down next to Tamara. "And who might you be, my love?"

"Tamara." She extended her hand and blushed when he kissed it. "This is…"

"Emma's friend," Hook answered taking in Neal. "This one has better manners than our Emma, but I rather enjoy Emma's spunk."

It took everything in him not to punch the man in the face. He wasn't a fan of Hook in Neverland and that was before he knew his mother left him for that sleazy pirate. It was before he saw the way Hook eyed up Emma and before he learned that Hook injured an innocent woman just to hurt his father. He hadn't met Belle yet but from what everyone said she was a pretty amazing woman. Just another casualty.

"Can we help you?" Neal was trying to hold his anger in.

"Yes." Hook snagged a fry off Neal's near empty plate. "You are Henry's father. I need you to speak to Emma and her family. I've grown tired of this world. Once I get what I came for I'd like Emma to take me home." He leaned in to Neal. "I've heard about her adventure. She takes me where I want to go and I won't have to resort to taking dear Henry once those beans are done."

"You are insane." Neal stood up. "Move. Now." He waited and when Hook didn't move Neal jerked him up roughly. "Do not threaten my family. Emma cannot help you."

"And you my friend, I should have killed when I had the chance." Hook smiled wickedly. "Your dear friend Peter was rather lost when you abandoned him."

Neal took a deep breath of air. He knew. For how long? He knew he was from Neverland but did he know who his parents were as well?

"I could do it now. But dear Emma…she…well let's say for reasons I cannot explain has taken a hold of my barely there conscious. I couldn't kill her true love." Hook grabbed Tamara and kissed her quickly before Neal pulled him away and punched him in the gut. He was prepared to fight when someone intervened.

"I believe you owe the lady an apology," the blonde man who was holding a knife to Hook's neck said calmly. "Ella, please take the baby home." He never turned his head back to 'Ella'.

Neal watched the blonde woman, Ella, walk out the back with a baby in her arms. She looked concerned but must have trusted this man enough to listen to him. Neal had never seen him before but was glad he was here because he may have killed Hook then and there.

"I apologize m'lady," Hook said through gritted teeth.

"I suggest, Mr. Jones, you go home and take your medicine and leave these kind people alone."

Neal watched as Hook agreed to leave. The blonde man let Hook go and escorted him to the door. There were a few people who clapped, even Tamara joined in. He couldn't help but wonder what was going through her mind.

"I'm Thomas." He extended his hand. "I apologize for the actions I took to remove Mr. Jones."

"No, thank you!" Tamara hugged him. "What, did he escape from a Pirate Convention?"

"No," Thomas laughed. "Killian Jones is a confused man. He believes he is a dangerous pirate. He's mostly harmless."

"Thank you." Neal nodded. He knew Thomas was lying. Thomas tossed his head to the side and Neal knew he wanted to speak in private. "I'll be right back," he said to Tamara before following Thomas a few feet from her.

"I assume you know that is a lie?" When Neal nodded yes he continued. "Please tell Prince James…I mean David I guess. Please tell him I'm sorry I didn't step up to offer my assistance sooner but I wish to do whatever he needs to get us home."

Neal said he would and led his fiancé out of the diner. He felt a headache coming on in anticipation of Tamara's questions. She must have known however that he wasn't in the mood so when Neal said he needed a nap she joined him.

_Neal pulled his car up to their small modest home. Henry's bike was on the porch and Emma's yellow bug was in the driveway in front of his. She was probably making dinner and Henry would be doing whatever homework they threw at 10 year olds. As he walked in the house he found Henry in the living room._

_"Honey, I'm home!" he called out. He said a quiet hello to Henry who was busy with his homework and headed to the kitchen to greet his wife. He plucked a tomato from the salad Emma was preparing. "Missed you guys."_

_"You've only been gone since this morning," Emma laughed and her eyes sparkled._

_"Can't a man miss his wife and child?" Neal pulled her hair off her neck and kissed it._

Neal's dream quickly transitioned and he was restless in bed.

_Neal was packing up the yellow bug. He sold their other car to help fund their trip but neither of them could bare to part with the bug. They weren't taking much. Just essentials and they'd send for the rest later._

_"Ready to go to our new home?" He asked his family once they all piled in the car._

_They both smiled. He lied to Emma about the reasoning for moving to Storybrooke. 10 years ago August came to him telling him of Emma's destiny. Neal refused to abandon her and instead swore he'd take her there when she was 28. Now he had to get there and convince her of who she was._

Neal woke with a start. He'd dreamt of what life with Emma could have been like before but they stopped when he met Tamara. He then only dreamed of their life together. He glanced over and found Tamara fast asleep thankful he hadn't talked in sleep.

_**Emma**_

She felt exhausted and sore. How was that possible if she just woke up after a 4 day slumber? Henry had been the one by her side when she woke up. His eyes had been filled with worry then relief when he saw her open her eyes. She grunted when he flew in to her for a hug.

"Whoa, kid." She laughed.

"We've been so worried. Gram and Gramps…they wouldn't leave you." He chewed his bottom lip. "They made me stay with Neal for a few days. He was worried too."

Emma wasn't so sure how long she'd been out until her parents walked in. She received a similar response from them as she had from Henry. They told her the basics, how she'd been sleeping and how she had passed out at the cemetery. Emma remembered what happened. She had somehow created a huge storm and when Neal pulled her away from a falling tree she suddenly felt all her energy disappear. Her parents left to make her some real food and to give her and Henry sometime alone. She listened with a heavy heart as Henry told her how worried he was and that he didn't want her to leave him.

"Dad said you'd wake up because you were stubborn." He lowered his head. "He talks in his sleep."

"I know," she laughed. "It used to annoy me sometimes."

"It was funny at times. He talked about a banana sandwich and monkey trying to steal it." Henry laughed and Emma found herself laughing with him. "He says he's sorry a lot in his sleep. Sorry, Emma." Henry's eyes were watering. "If he loves you…and I know he does," Henry stressed. "Why is with _her_?"

"Henry," Emma sighed. "It's complicated. It's been so long and he moved on."

"It doesn't have to be."

"Kid, please." She gave him a weak smile. "If I tell you a secret do you promise to keep it between us?" Henry nodded yes excitedly. "I loved your father so much. So much at times I thought I'd die if I lost him. I know he loved me then too." Emma took a deep breath. "I love him still. But too much has happened. Too much hurt. And he's with her and I think after what happened with him and I…he won't just leave her."

"It's not fair." He huffed.

"I know." Emma laughed bitterly. "I know." She pulled Henry close and hugged him. How had he become such a smart and caring boy? She loved the heart he had. "We do not repeat what I said about how I feel about your father. You got that?" She heard a quiet yes. "I thought you should know. Only you. But please do not get any ideas in your head ok?"

"Like trying to get you back together?" Henry looked hopeful.

"Like trying to get us back together. It's not going to happen. You can love someone and not be with them."

It was hard explaining this to Henry. She wasn't sure what possessed her to admit her feelings about Neal to Henry. Perhaps she needed to say it out loud and share it with one other person. Henry was happy and sad. She knew that face. He curled up on the bed and snuggled with Emma. And things never felt more right in that moment.

**A/N: I have a question regarding the castles in the Enchanted Forest…the castle Regina lived in, was that Snow's castle as a child? If I remember correctly Regina's room was the same one Queen Eva died in? So, is the castle that Snow and Charming lived in together, was that King George's? And another question…were Snow and Charming fighting to take back her kingdom that Regina now ruled or King George's? I have seen every episode and some more than once but for whatever reason I cannot remember. If anyone could help me out with this it would be great…I wanted to figure it out for future chapters.**


	8. Chapter 8

_Thank you so much for all the reviews on the last chapter and for those who answered my question on the castles. I didn't mean for it to take a week to update the story but I wasn't sure I liked how these next two chapters played out but I think I'm ok with them. I'm going to post chapter 8 and 9 tonight._

_As always, reviews/comments/suggestions/constructive criticism is always welcome._

_Thanks for reading and enjoy _

CHAPTER 8

_**Emma**_

Emma stayed home for the next day after she woke up from her four day long sleep. She wasn't ready to face the town and she was sure word got around about what she did. And Neal was wandering about with HER. Even though she was accepting that he was engaged, it didn't mean she wanted to see the woman. The next day, Mary Margaret convinced her to get out and go to work with David. Grudgingly, Emma agreed and she rode with her father to the station.

"I have to stop at Granny's real quick and get food for the prisoner." David pulled up to the diner. "I'll be right back."

"Prisoner?" Emma called to his retreating figure but he either ignored her or didn't hear her.

He came back out with Ashley's boyfriend. No, not Ashley. Ella. She had made a deal with Rumplestiltskin to save Cinderella's baby not long after she arrived in Storybrooke. That deal…well that deal led her to Neal.

"Emma." Sean nodded as he came up to truck.

"Sean," she greeted.

"I actually prefer Thomas. I never liked my cursed name." He opened the passenger side door. Emma assumed he wanted in so she slid down to the middle of the truck. "I hope you don't mind that I'm tagging along."

"More the merrier," Emma sighed now sandwiched between the two princes. "So, who is the prisoner?"

Thomas and David just smiled. Once they reached the station she fell behind the two men who were chatting away. She heard his voice before seeing him.

"Love! You've come to bust me out?"

"Hook?!" Emma was surprised to see him there. The black eye and bruised cheek he had did not go unnoticed.

"Your father and this bloke threw me in here last night. Rather uncivilized I'd have to say. Didn't even leave a pillow or blanket." Hook was resting his head against the bars. "Save me, Emma."

Thomas and David both exchanged a look. David then shoved the bag in to the cell with Hook who took it happily. He forgot about Emma as he ate his breakfast. She followed her father as he motioned her to her office. The three of them entered and David shut the door.

"What is Hook doing in a cell?" she threw her arm towards the cell.

"He was causing trouble with Neal the other day. Thomas thought he took care of it until I got a call last night from Tamara," David said her name with slight distaste. "Hook had come to their hotel room and started another fight with Neal. She was angry because Neal locked her out of the room while he and Hook had it out."

"Needless to say, she is not a happy lady and their room is rather destroyed." Thomas smirked. "That Neal is surprisingly a good fighter."

"Hook is here until Tamara leaves town. He can't seem to leave Neal alone. And he doesn't even know he is Gold's son." David crossed his arms. "He was drunk when we brought him in. He told Neal that you were going to sail away to Neverland with him."

"Why would I go to Neverland with Neal?" Emma lifted her eye brow.

"Not Neal." Thomas threw his head towards Hook. "Seems someone is a little jealous."

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me!" Emma turned around and stared at Hook. He had finished eating and was smiling at her. It gave her the heeby geeby's. "So, we are supposed to work with him staring at us?"

"Pretty much. Yep." David was trying not to laugh. "Oh, Thomas. You're going to want to lock up Alex when she gets older. This trying not to beat up men who look at your daughter the wrong way is really tough." He laughed then. "But, Hook. He is like a little puppy dog. No matter how much I want to pummel him….I mean just look at him."

Emma had to admit. Hook was staring at her and his eyes were wide and he looked like a young boy staring at his crush. What had come over Hook? Sure, he was a flirt but he was never infatuated with her. More she watched the more she wondered what happened to the Hook she met in the Enchanted Forest. She was also curious as to how Thomas got involved but she didn't care. Her father seemed happy to have a friend right now.

"Give me a minute." She walked back out and approached Hook. "What is your problem?"

"Problem? I have no problem." Hook stood up from the bed. "Your father gave me a lovely meal and brought you to see me. Everything is wonderful."

Ok, this is not Hook. She tried to read him but couldn't. He looked like Hook. He had the same voice as Hook but he was being too weird to be Hook.

"Why were you trying to fight Neal?"

"Did you have to say his name?" Hook winced in what looked like pain. "I hate that man. He and his friend Peter ruined all my plans in Neverland. It was his fault I lost my hand. That father of his…" he paused when Emma took a sharp breath. "Oh, yes I knew. Not right away. I followed him to that shop the crocodile owns. I should kill him Emma." His voice was smooth and steady. "I really should. For many reasons. But alas, I can't."

"Why?" Emma narrowed her eyes at him.

"I love you. I couldn't hurt Henry by killing his father." Hook reached out for her.

"You don't love me and you don't care about Henry." Emma pulled away from Hook.

"I do love you. More than he ever could. We can sail away. You, me and the boy. We don't have to go to Neverland. We'll find somewhere." He looked hopeful.

Emma didn't want to laugh. She really didn't but this was just ridiculous. There was no way she was going to concentrate with him around. Maybe she would just go home and spend the day with Henry again. But she did need to get back normalcy.

"Hey Emma." August came waltzing in to the station. "I hoped I'd find you here."

She sighed. She really didn't want to deal with him today. Emma still wanted to hate him and not discuss anything about what happened. Hook was eyeballing August and she heard David and Thomas laughing. Why in the world were they laughing and smiling like idiots?

"Thanks for letting me out last night guys. Sorry I was such a hassle." August bounced a bit.

"A hassle?" David tried to hide a smile. "You and Hook got in a fight outside Neal's room. You are lucky he didn't beat you too."

So much for normalcy. August was giving her big puppy dogs eyes and doing a creepy smile. He went back and forth to what Emma could think was flirting with her and shooting Hook dirty looks.

"What is going on?" Emma demanded.

"Hey puppet!" Hook yelled. "Go away. She's mine!"

"No way, Jack Sparrow." August was at Hook's cell in an instant. "She is mine. I've loved her longer." He then turned to Emma with a smile. "Would you like to go to lunch?"

"Hell no." Her head hurt. "I'm still incredibly mad at you and what has gotten in to you?"

David came up behind and patted her back. She wanted to wipe the smile off his face but with him being her dad and all…not the best idea. Why was he finding this so funny? Then David started telling her how he had called Thomas to help with the Hook/Neal situation. When they got there Tamara was outside the room and Neal and Hook were in a physical brawl. As they took Hook out of Granny's August jumped in.

"Apparently they both wanted to declare…" David started then stopped in a fit of laughter.

"Their undying love for you." Thomas finished. "They both had the brilliant idea to tell Neal that they were in love with you and what a fool he was." Thomas sat down on David's desk. "Your father finds this all rather humorous."

"I would have pegged you for the protective type. You know, instead of laughing you'd be trying to punch one of them. I mean you did attack Neal." Emma crossed her arms over her chest.

"Oh, I may have 'accidently' hit one of them while breaking up a fight. And Neal more than deserved my so called attack, Emma. But, I'm sorry, just look at them." David pointed to August and Hook who were in a heated battle over her. "They are like little boys fighting over a girl on the playground. They are love sick."

"And obviously under some kind of love spell."

Everyone turned their heads to see Gold. He put his hands up as if to say it wasn't him. David piped up saying that he was about to suggest a love spell. There was no way someone put August and Hook under a love spell to fall for her. What would the point be? And it wasn't anywhere near as amusing that David thought.

"What do you know?" Emma asked Gold while dragging August by the arm. She tossed him in the cell next to Hook and locked it. This was much easier to keep an eye on him.

"Bae's fiancé practically dragged him to my house last night. She was scared over the disturbance last night. Bae filled me in that both Captain Hook and Pinocchio were fighting over you." Gold shifted his weight on his cane. "As charming as you are Miss Swan, I find it hard to believe they suddenly fell in love with you. That and I feel magic around here. It's not a magic that I've felt before. It's someone who hasn't used magic here yet."

Emma thought about that. Who would be doing magic that Gold supposedly wasn't used to? It wasn't Regina. She wouldn't stoop to something so ridiculously stupid. August and Hook continued to bicker over Emma and she had about all she could take. She was sure Gold came for a reason but she didn't care. She just wanted to know who did this and according to Gold the person who did was the only one who could undo it.

She told her father that she would be back and left to clear her head. They could deal with the two caged idiots. Emma soon found herself outside of Granny's diner and couldn't help but notice Neal and Tamara at the counter. It was the first time Emma laid eyes on Tamara and she wasn't impressed with what she saw. Unable to walk away she found herself watching them. Something felt weird but she figured it was because of what she refused to identify as jealousy. An electrical shock went through her.

"You've got to be kidding me," Emma huffed. She knew she caused something to blow up or break but she refused to look. Stupid magic.

Her eyes locked with Neal and she knew she had been discovered. He looked amused at first then that woman grabbed his face and kissed him. Rage filled her when Tamara winked at her. Suddenly they jumped back when their glasses exploded.

"Oh, come on!" Emma cried. Talk about wearing your heart on your sleeve. Sure, she wasn't happy but she didn't mean to cause damage. Neal startled her by opening the door next to her. "Oh, hey."

"Hey? Just hey?" Neal looked at her. Was it pity? "What was that? It's really hard to lie to Tamara when you used magic to scare her."

"I didn't do it on purpose, ok. Look, go back to her. I have to go back to the station and figure out what to do with Twiddle Dee and Twiddle Dum." Emma found herself laughing. "I wonder which one will propose marriage first."

"August already asked your father's permission." Neal offered snickering. "I'd go with him. You wouldn't want to scar Henry by having his grandmother's pirate lover as his stepfather. The family tree is messed up enough." Neal was joking. His eyes told her so.

"You are a real jerk, you know that?" Emma turned on her heals. She knew he had been teasing but it hurt her. "Keep her away from Henry."

"Emma," Neal growled as she walked away.

And of course, magic. A freak flash of lighting hit not far from Neal. She threw a "sorry" at him and stomped away. This was getting old. She needed to practice controlling her magic or just not getting mad. That was going to be fun.


	9. Chapter 9

_And here is the second chapter to be posted for the night. Enjoy!_

_Reviews/comments/suggestions/constructive criticism are always welcome._

CHAPTER 9

_**Neal**_

He took a deep breath. He and Tamara had been fighting for an hour. They never fought. Ever. She was demanding answers for Emma's strange behavior, what was said behind the closed doors between him and Hook, and a bunch of other stuff. Maybe he needed to tell her the truth. And maybe she'd run for the hills. This just sucked. Emma was falling apart and he had a strong urge to find a way to help her yet another half of him said to leave her alone. Part of him was yelling at him to leave and go home to New York. That part of him angered Neal to no end.

"Look, honey. Let's just pack up and go. We can take Henry with us. His mother is obviously 'not well'. This whole town creeps me out." Tamara had her arms crossed.

"We aren't taking Henry away from his mother."

"Think it over. Really think ok?" Tamara grabbed her purse. "I'm going for a walk."

Neal dropped down on the bed once the door shut. He didn't know what to do. Everything was so wrong. He felt a battle going on within himself. One part screaming for Emma and another part satisfied with the life he had in New York. He got up and walked over to his bag. He wasn't sure what he was looking for. Something just told him to look in the bag. At the very bottom was an old book with worn cover. It felt familiar.

"What do we have here?" He opened the book and found a bunch of pages cut in the middle of it. A small gold ring with a little opal and a photo of Emma was placed in the middle of the book. He dumped it on the bed and flipped through the pages. On the last page he saw something in his own writing. "Emma. Believe in that and nothing else."

What did that mean? And why didn't he remember writing that, or hiding a ring in the book or even packing the book. He picked up the ring and closed his eyes and a scene flashed before him.

_He hid in the shadows a block away from where he was supposed to meet Emma. He did what August told him to do and he was dying inside. Neal watched as the cop approached her and held his breath when he pulled the gun on her. He watched everything. Watched the cuffs go on. Watched her loaded in to the car. Saw the tears fall from her face as they drove by. He jammed his hand in his pocket and felt the cold metal and pulled the object out._

_ "I'm sorry," he whispered and stared at the gold ring with the small opal. It wasn't much. He felt bad when he hid money from her but she deserved something nice. Tallahassee was going to be their fresh start and he was going to put it on her finger when they made it there. Now, it was never going to happen. "I'm so sorry."_

He opened his eyes and felt wet tears on his face. This made no sense. He never bought Emma a ring. He loved her but wasn't ready for that back then. He remembered that day. He was with August the whole time. He never saw her arrested. It was his emotions playing tricks on him. It had to be. The ring must be something they stole and he was hiding. Nothing felt right. Something told him to put the book and its contents back in his bag before Tamara came back and found it.

He needed to talk to August. Something just didn't feel right. He left Tamara a note saying he'd be back shortly. He didn't care if Emma was at the station when he got there. He would ask for privacy so he could speak with August. When he entered the station he held back a chuckle as he observed Hook and August over a heated debate as to who deserved Emma more. David and Thomas were sitting back as if watching a movie.

"Hey, watch what you say about my daughter," David growled when Hook said he could do things to Emma that would make her go insane. "While this was amusing at first, you do not disrespect her."

"But it's true." Hook shrugged. He turned his attention now to Neal who had entered the main room. "Go away, boy."

"No." Neal smirked at Hook before turning to the two royals sitting in chairs across from him. "Good show?" He shook Thomas' hand but when he went to shake David's he was left with his hand empty.

"It was until the scumbag pirate had to be crude. Don't expect dinner." David crossed his arms. "Emma isn't here. She got tired of these two and went home."

"Speaking of, I'm going to head on home myself." Thomas stood up. "Call me if you need anything." He threw a look to the men in the cells. "Behave yourself!"

When Thomas was gone, David nodded to the empty seat. Neal took that as an invitation so he dropped down next to Emma's father. Neither spoke as David kept his eyes on the cells. He bent down and quickly produced two beers and handed one to Neal. Hook complained that he wanted one which earned him a harsh "Shut up" from David.

"We're going to work on Emma's magic issue." David finally looked over to Neal. "She told me what she did at the dinner. She felt horrible." He took a big swig of his drink. "How is Tamara?"

"Angry." Neal sighed. "Hey, shut up!" He yelled at August and Hook when they began bickering again and trying to pull Neal in to it. "I'm trying to talk here." He heard David chuckle. "Can I ask you a question?"

"If it's my permission to marry my daughter, I'm sorry but you already heard August ask for it." David sighed then gave Neal a nod. "Shoot."

"Have you ever felt like there is something missing? That something just wasn't right and that no matter how hard you tried you couldn't place what it was?"

"When I woke from the coma and I had no memories. I was told I had a wife, who was not Snow, and when she'd hug or kiss me…my mind screamed that it wasn't right. I know now why." David set his beer on the ground and turned to Neal with more interest than he thought he'd have. "Why do you ask?"

"I found something today. It makes no sense to me at all. I thought August could shed some light in to it." Neal laughed. "And I have no one I can talk to about it. My father is well…" he stopped unsure of how to word how he felt.

"Yeah, he is," David answered as if knowing the words he couldn't find. "And I'm the lucky one who you decide to confide in? Just watch what you say and remember you hurt my daughter and I'm a very protective father." He gave Neal a look that said he better be careful.

Why was he about to confide in this man? He hated him. All Neal had intended to do was come here and speak to August but instead his mouth spewed words his mind did not want released. He spoke of the book with the hidden picture and ring and the memory he had.

"I don't understand why I wrote what I did."

"It could be your mind trying to clear itself of the guilt you have for tossing my daughter to the police and getting her locked up and having my grandson in jail." David suggested.

"Neal," August called out. "You weren't with me that night."

Neal and David both jumped out of their seats. Hook had fallen asleep thankfully so it was just the three of them.

"What do you mean?" Neal reached through the cell for August. "I was with you. You made me stay away."

"No." August shook his head. "I remember you being with me but I also remember you weren't. I think the memory of you NOT being with me is real." He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Things are pretty fuzzy right now. I blame it on my love for Emma." His eyes then glazed over and a smile appeared on his face.

Neal tried to get more out of August but it was useless. He just had that love sick look on his face. David exchanged a confused look with Neal and picked up the beer on the floor and grabbed his coat.

"I don't know what to tell you. August is obviously under some kind of spell so whatever he says isn't very accurate right now." He nudged Neal out of the main room. "I need to get home. I suggest you do the same."

"Yeah. Ok." Neal nodded and took one final look at August before following David out of the station.

He felt uneasy but decided to push it in the back of his mind. There was an answer for it all and he'd figure it out. For now, he had to get back to Tamara.

_**Henry**_

Henry shifted the weight of his bag as he walked down the hall to his father's room. Somehow he had convinced Emma to let him go see his father even though _she _was in town. He didn't really like the idea of his dad wanting to marry someone other than his mother but after Emma admitted she loved him, Henry hated it now. Emma and Neal were meant to be together and they just needed a push. As Henry walked up to his dad's room he heard a voice speaking in hushed tones. Then there was a second voice. He paused so he could listen.

"Why are you still here? You've done what I've asked. Now go." The woman hissed.

"So you can stay here and marry him?" A man growled. "No. It's over. We leave together."

Henry heard footsteps coming towards the door and backed away. He ran down the stairs hoping to see who the mystery voice belonged to but instead the footsteps headed upstairs. She was talking to another guest. Well that was interesting. Shaking his mind free of this new development and deciding to take advantage of the fact his soon to be step-mom was alone, Henry took a deep breath and knocked on their door.

"I told you to," she stopped after opening the door and seeing Henry. "Ooh, I'm so sorry." The anger in her eyes was replaced with kindness. "You must be Henry." Tamara leaned against the door. "Your dad isn't here."

"That's ok." He pushed past her. "I'll wait for him." Henry flashed her his signature smile before dropping down on the couch. "So, you're going to be my third mom huh?"

"I ah." She paused. "I'm." She stared at the floor. "Yes." She finally looked at Henry. "You ok with that?"

Henry just shrugged. She didn't seem too happy or sure that she was going to be his step-mom. She smiled like she was but deep down Henry could tell. He kept quiet trying to think of what to say other than "go away my mom and dad belong together". He didn't need to worry about that though as his father came through door with a surprised look on his face.

"Hey kid!" Neal shut the door and sat down next to Henry. He glanced up at Tamara. "I see you've met Tamara."

"Yep!"

"It's great you are here." Neal smiled at both Henry and Tamara. "What do you say the three of us go out to dinner?"

"I can't. Gr-" He started then when he remembered Tamara didn't know about their strange family he corrected himself. "Mary Margaret and I have plans." Henry felt bad lying when Neal asked him what. His mom wasn't even all that happy about it and Neal probably wouldn't like it either. "Nothing. She's going to help me with a school project." Looking at his watch he noticed the time. "I've got to go. Nice meeting you," he called to Tamara as he made his way out of the room.

He had a bad feeling about her now. That strange man in their room that she wasn't happy with really didn't feel right. He didn't have Emma's "power" to tell when people were lying but he knew Tamara just felt 'off'. He'd have to see if anyone else noticed it. But for now, step one of "Operation Swanfire" was complete, the discovery phase. He smiled inside at the name of his newest operation, Emma's last name and half of Neal's real name. It had a nice ring to it.

_**Regina**_

She sat at her large dining room table all alone. It saddened her when she thought back on all the meals she shared with Henry at the table and how she now only got to see him whenever _they _felt she deserved it. It wasn't enough that she killed her own mother for those people. No. She was still someone they felt was unworthy of Henry's affection. Why couldn't they see she loved Henry, truly loved him. She didn't know how to show her love in the way normal people did but she loved him just the same.

"Mom?" she heard his voice call out.

She was imagining it. He wasn't here in her house. He was at _their _apartment.

"Mom?"

His voice called out again but this time she felt his hand on her shoulder. When she looked up and saw Henry next to her she smiled brightly. Henry gave her a crooked little grin before giving her a hug. Regina noticed Henry had not come alone. Snow was standing awkwardly by the door. She slowly pulled her chair back and straightened out her dress.

"Grandma brought me over to see you." Henry pulled on her hand. "Please be nice?"

"Henry wanted to spend some time with you. We tried calling." Snow looked timid and nervous. "If you are busy we can just leave."

"No!" Regina said quickly. She would take this time with Henry. "I was just about to eat. Have you had dinner yet?" Henry shook his head no. "Sit down. I'll get you a plate."

"I'm just going to wait in the car."

"Snow," Regina called. What was she doing? "You can sit as well if you'd like." She put her hand on an empty seat. "I'm sure you were given instructions not to leave him alone with me."

She watched as Snow took in her words. Henry was beaming and before Snow could speak he was dragging her to an empty seat. This was going to be one awkward dinner that was for sure. Regina went in to the kitchen to get two more plates and silver ware and came back to see Henry stealing a bite off her plate and Snow giggling at him.

"Henry?" she questioned but was smiling.

"I'm sorry. I just haven't had your lasagna in a while. Well at the party but…" he shrugged.

She ruffled his hair and set plates in front of Henry and Snow. They allowed Henry to carry on the conversation, talking about the time he has been spending with his father and what was going on in school. You could cut the tension between the two women with a knife. Finally, when Henry was done and asked if he could run up to his old room for something Regina broke their silence.

"How is Emma's magic?" Regina questioned.

"Emma is just fine, thank you." Snow sat up straight in her seat.

"Oh, please. I hear people talk. She is Henry's other mother. I'm worried for him." And she was. If Emma was going all Evil magic then what was their basis for keeping Henry from her. "I was there. I felt that storm she created and I hear stories about what's going on in town."

Snow sighed and finally slumped in her seat. "We are working on it."

Regina couldn't believe she was about to tell Snow this. She had decided earlier that she had done enough for the "Charming's" by killing her own mother. Yet, she didn't like what she had been feeling the past few days. There was an energy in the air that didn't sit well with her and she knew whatever it was had to be to the cause of Pinocchio and Hook's new love for Emma.

"Something isn't right around here." Regina was mentally slapping herself. "There's new magic in town. It's not a very powerful magic but it is here and I don't like it."

"Gold said the same thing." Snow raised an eyebrow. "Do you know who it is?"

Regina shook her head no. "I know everyone I brought over and what they can and can't do. There is no one in this town with the magic I am feeling." She lifted her wine glass to her lips. "What do you know about Henry's soon to be stepmother?"

"Not much. She isn't from our world. She's from here." Snow shook her head. "Do you think it's her?"

Oh, yes. Regina knew it had to be this Tamara woman. It was too much of a coincidence that this feeling started the moment she entered town. She just couldn't figure out who this woman was and how she had magical abilities. And it was odd that she was attached to Neal. It just wasn't right. Regina didn't care about Neal or his love life…unless it affected Henry. And she couldn't be positive that Tamara wasn't a threat to Henry in some way.

"No. What are the odds of it being her?" Regina lied.


	10. Chapter 10

Thanks so much for all the reviews on the last two chapters! You guys are the best for taking the time to let me know what you think.

I had a very Snow White day. I watched a few episodes of Season One of OUAT, watched "Snow White and the Huntsman" and caught up my fanfic reading. I began to write a bit more for this story and I found myself with a bit of writers block and my husband offered to assist me. The man watches OUAT with me from time to time but having just watched Kristen Stewart's portrayal of Snow White he was getting the stories confused. He was no help but it was cute listening to him try.

Ok, enough of what I did today. On to the next chapter. Enjoy

CHAPTER 10

_**David**_

"Hello, family!" David greeted as he opened the door to the apartment.

Emma was alone on the couch staring at something in her hands. She appeared to be so deep in thought that David doubted she heard him come in. The house was quiet so he could only assume Mary Margaret and Henry were out of the house. He watched her for a moment wondering just what was going on in her head but knowing he'd never be able to figure it out on his own.

"Emma?" he called as he neared closer to her. He could now see she was holding a picture of her and Neal. "Em?" He shook her until she finally acknowledged she was no longer alone.

"David." She looked like she had been caught doing something bad as she straightened up and tried to hide what was in her hand. "Henry and Mary Margaret are at Regina's. I figured he could see her and Mary Margaret offered to take him."

"You sure that was a good idea?"

"Henry needs to see her as much as we all hate that. He's not alone."

David took a deep breath. He didn't know how to be a dad to a twenty-eight year old. He was a great grandfather to Henry and he and Emma had their moments. But right now, he could tell her heart was breaking and he didn't know how to fix it. He just wanted to put her in a bubble where no one or nothing could touch her but that wasn't feasible. Instead, he racked his brain for a way to make her feel better.

"You can't fix it." She touched his hand and looked up at him. "It's sweet that you want to you but you can't."

He didn't answer. He just took a seat next to her and put one arm around her shoulders. He wasn't expecting anything in response from her and just stayed quiet and looked ahead. Slowly, she leaned in to him and put her head on his shoulder. David heard her mumble something but didn't ask her to repeat herself. Whatever it was she'd tell him when she was ready.

"You really think it's hilarious that Hook and August are now in love with me, huh?" She finally said.

"Yeah." He chuckled. "I do." He kicked his feet up and got more comfortable. "If I thought it was serious I wouldn't be laughing though. I wanted to kill Hook and Neal when we first showed up. Then we realized it wasn't really Hook."

"So, out of the three of them…"

"None of them Emma!" He couldn't turn to look at her because her head was still on his shoulder. "Not one of those morons deserve you."

She moved her head and looked at him. "You're my dad. No one is supposed to be good enough."

"If I could bring someone back to life I'd say Graham." He gave her a sad smile. "He was a good man back there. Saved your mother, saved me. He would have been good enough. Almost."

She lowered her head back down and he felt her snuggle in a bit. Graham would have been a good man for Emma but no one would know what could have been with that one. If he had to pick between Hook, August and Neal…well that wasn't a fair panel of potential suitors for his daughter. Hook was a womanizing pirate. August was a liar and assisted in breaking Emma's heart.

And Neal…oh Neal Cassidy a.k.a. son of the Dark One. Henry's father. His daughter's one true love. If Neal hadn't completely shattered her years ago, David supposed he could ignore his parentage. But, he was still having a hard time getting over what he did to Emma. Even if he did it for good reasons in his mind.

"Neal was good to me back then." Emma spoke up. "He took care of me. You would have liked him then."

"Liked that he and my daughter were thieves?"

"Like mother like daughter?" Emma laughed. She got up and wiped her eyes. "I'm going to go lay down." She walked around the couch and stopped behind David. Hesitantly, she leaned down and hugged him from behind. "Thank you."

David wrapped his arms around hers and held tight for a moment then let go. He watched her walk away to her room and he couldn't remove the grin on his face. A few minutes later the door opened and Mary Margaret and Henry came in. Henry ran upstairs to tell Emma all about dinner with Regina so that left David and Mary Margaret.

"I had an interesting conversation with Regina." She said once they were in their room. "She feels the magic you told me Gold was feeling. She suggested it was someone she didn't bring here with the curse." She paused. "That it's someone new."

"Greg Mendel?" He asked and when Mary Margaret shook her head no he tried again. "Tamara?" His wife just nodded and he felt his eyes bulge. "No."

"She didn't say yes or no, but I get the feeling that is who she's leaning to. And Henry stopped by their room today and he told me he heard her talking to someone about wanting them to leave town and this person said they weren't leaving without her." Her face fell and she looked very nervous. "I think it was Greg. I think Tamara and Greg are up to no good."

"Oh, Snow," he said using her real name. "I don't think we should jump to any conclusions." He wasn't ready to tell her about Neal's concerns. There was no reason for anyone to worry but he'd keep an eye on the situation.

_**Emma**_

Emma rubbed her temples. His singing was driving her insane. It made her regret letting August out because at least then Hook had someone else to annoy. But, no he felt like singing would be a great way to win her over. She yelled at him to shut up from her office but he just sang some stupid pirate song even louder. And she let David take off today because he said he needed to take care of something. She was sure it had to do with her or Neal or something along those lines. She heard Henry say something about "Operation Swanfire". Cute name kid, real cute.

"Do you know your son is running around with his grandfather working on some secret undercover operation?"

She looked up to see Neal standing in the door way. He had a crooked little grin. The one she loved so much.

"He's half yours and I had an idea he was up to something." She dropped her head and began rubbing her temples again. "Can you kill Hook?"

"I probably shouldn't. I don't want to get arrested." He teased as he walked around towards her chair.

"I have it on good authority that the Sheriff would turn a blind eye. It will be a mercy killing." She paused when she felt him behind her. Her hair was softly pulled the side and she felt his strong hands working their magic on her neck. She moved her hand over his and he moved her hands out of his way. Giving up she sighed. "What brings you by?"

He didn't answer but instead kept rubbing her neck. "You remember that one time we," he began before Emma cut him off.

"Please don't…no reminiscing about our past." She moaned as his massage turned from therapeutic to more of a sensual one…he was now rubbing her shoulders. His hands were off her body and he was now sitting on the desk facing her. "Why are you here?" She asked instead of yelling at him for stopping the wonderful massage he was giving.

"I'm not sure. Things are really confusing right now." He stared deep in to her eyes. "What I know is that I wasn't completely honest with you."

Emma didn't say anything. Neal Cassidy not being completely honest with her? Well, that was a shocker. He looked conflicted and pained. She wanted to hold him. He looked so vulnerable sitting in front of her like that.

"I used to wonder what the hell I was thinking. You know, why did I listen to August? I could have stayed with you and brought you back here. Henry did it. So, why didn't I? I am like my father. A coward." Taking a deep breath he continued. "I was running from magic my whole life and then there I was faced with this knowledge that the love of my life was the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming and that my father created the curse. Sure, August didn't know that part but I knew it was him. I was terrified of having to be the one to bring you to this town. To him. I was terrified I'd fail and you wouldn't fulfill your destiny and save everyone. I was terrified you'd hate me when you found out who my father was."

She couldn't take her eyes off of him. He looked like a little boy. His eyes were watery but no tears fell. Neal had never given her this look before. This was new. He looked tormented almost.

"I was a coward and I ruined your life, mine and most importantly I ruined Henry's."

Emma wasn't sure what came over her. The minute a tear slid down his face she had cupped his face in her hands and was standing up to face him. Her thumb brushed across the tear and wiped it away. Hook was yelling in the background but she just ignored it. Suddenly she felt Neal's lips on hers and then one of them was pushing stuff off her desk. He flipped around so he could lower her to the desk.

"Hands off her!" Hook could be heard in the background.

Hooks words were lost on them. She felt Neal's hands on her body and his lips were attacking hers. It was as if no time had passed with them. She knew this was wrong and they should stop but she couldn't. Emma could feel his hands working her zipper then suddenly he gasped for air and jumped back as if he were burned.

"Emma, I am so sorry."

"What?" She sat up and tried to make sense of what just happened. He had a blank look on his face and was backing as far from her as possible.

"I'm with Tamara. I love Tamara. I shouldn't have come here," Neal said, his voice flat and void of any emotion. He turned and left without another word.

She felt crushed. Her heart sank as she watched him leave. Closing her eyes she tried to calm herself but found it not working. Her whole body shook in anger and didn't stop until she sensed something off. Opening her eyes she saw her mother standing next to her with a cut above her eye and items were swirling around in the air out in the main room. Looking at Mary Margaret she felt her anger subside and the items all fell to the floor.

"Emma!" her mother cried. "You have got to stop this."

"I can't! Don't you see?! I can't control it." Emma tried to hold in her frustration as she searched for a first aid kit. "I'm sorry I hurt you."

"I'm fine. It's you I'm worried about." Mary Margaret winced as Emma pressed a bandage to her forehead.

Emma felt like a world class jerk. She was the reason her mother now had a small cut above her eye. She was dangerous. The sadness in her mother's eyes was killing her and all she wanted was to go back to the time before she found Neal. He brought out the worse in her. Hook was calling out to her but Emma ignored him as she was lost in her thoughts. It wasn't until Mary Margaret nudged her did she find out that Hook had been injured as well.

"It looks like a small cut, nothing horrible." Mary Margaret commented as she waited to be let in to Hook's cell. "Let me in, Emma."

She simply handed Hook the first aid kit through the cell. There was no way her mother was going in there with Hook. Emma also wanted to get far away from the man before he could comment on what he saw with Neal. He was wiping some blood off his cheek as Emma watched. The item that cut him was on the ground next to him. They both spotted the letter opener at the same time and as Hook reached for it Emma willed it in her hands.

"Woah," she whispered when it appeared in her hands.

"You don't trust me?" Hook feigned being offended.

"Have you given me a reason too?"

"I could tell your mum all about that little display you and Neal put on for me." His eyes were burning in to her and the anger over what he saw was apparent. "She'd love to hear all about it I'm sure."

"Keep your mouth shut. You don't know what you saw." Emma was trying to calm herself. Mary Margaret was looking at her with sympathy. "Don't," she warned her mother.

"Snow, your dear daughter continues to allow that no good bilge rat play with her heart. I'm afraid he's out done himself this time by taking advantage of her fragile state. Privacy means nothing to those two." Hook looked at Emma for a moment and smirked. "But, the coward chose his fiancé over your beautiful daughter."

Emma didn't respond to him. The smug look on his face was enough to make her want to punch him. What did he know about anything? He didn't know anything about her. He didn't know anything about her past with Neal and he certainly didn't know anything about her current feelings for Neal. He needed to keep his mouth shut. She didn't care that he was under a love spell because she was pretty sure he'd be going on like this even if there wasn't a spell.

"Good night, Hook," Emma hissed as she took her mother's hand and pulled her away.

Neither said a word as they walked out the station. Emma was thankful Mary Margaret wasn't prying. She felt broken inside and didn't want to talk about it. When they arrived at the apartment David and Henry were waiting with dinner. David raised an eyebrow at his wife who simply shrugged his questions off. Emma wasn't in the mood for conversation or company so she ruffled Henry's hair and made her way to her room. She could hear their whispers but didn't care. She just wanted to give her broken heart a moment.


	11. Chapter 11

_Sorry for the delay in updating. I've really been questioning myself on some of this I already have written but I think I'm good now. Thanks to Meresger for letting me bounce some ideas back and forth. They should be playing out in the next chapter or two._

_Thanks so for all the reviews/follows/favorites! They make me smile._

_As always, reviews/comments/suggestions/constructive criticism is welcome. ENJOY _

CHAPTER 11

_**Neal**_

He hated himself. He was a horrible person. There was something fundamentally wrong with him. What possessed him to kiss Emma? Why? If felt so right but as he was ready to go a step further images of Tamara flashed in his mind and he threw himself off Emma. He didn't have to look her in the eyes to know the hurt he'd find there. Why did he go see her? There was something about Henry running around with Emma's father working on some 'Operation' that made him feel the need to visit her.

"What is wrong with me?" he said out loud as he entered his father's shop.

"Trouble in paradise?" his father questioned.

"Please, don't." Neal looked around the shop and at all the items his father had from their world. He wasn't sure why he ended up here but it was his only option right now as he couldn't very well go to the hotel and see Tamara in his confused state.

"Hey, Grampastiltskin," he heard Henry call out from the back room. "I've got another plan for 'Operation Swanfire'!" He was beaming as he entered the main room. His smile faltered when he saw Neal.

"I thought you were running around with David?" Neal stuffed his hands in his pockets. Henry didn't get a chance to answer when David came out a few seconds behind Henry.

"He is." David stood next to Henry. "He wanted Grampastiltskin's opinion on something." He laughed when Rumple cringed.

"It's bad enough the boy does it," Rumple moaned. "What brings you by Bae?"

Neal leaned against a case and picked up a paper weight. He surely couldn't tell his father what just happened with Emma while David and Henry were with them. If he wanted to be beat he could. But he'd rather not deal with overprotective Daddy Charming. Besides, this "Operation Swanfire" was rather intriguing at the moment.

"Just thought I'd stop and say hi." He lied. "What's 'Operation Swanfire'? Something to do with your mother and I? It's a cute name, kid."

Henry just smiled. David and Rumple shrugged. Oh, so they were going to play this game? Neal knew he wouldn't get anything out of the adults but Henry could be a different story. He could get it out of Henry.

"Gramps, we better go grab dinner. Grams should be bringing mom home anytime now." Henry gave Neal a quick hug. "I'll see you later, dad!" Henry was at the door. "Let's go before they beat us home".

Neal shook his head as his son and David left. Rumple just laughed as he locked up the shop. He offered Neal dinner as well but he declined. There was no way he could eat right now. He had led Emma on. Felt all the old emotions and feelings for her but he was being torn. The feeling that something was missing just wouldn't go away. His heart ached for Emma but his mind told him he didn't love her. Tamara was the one. He felt like he was going crazy.

"The boy wants you and his mother together."

"And his grandfather's are helping him do what?" Neal questioned.

"Not telling." He flashed a wicked smile.

"As if there isn't enough going on right now, I have people plotting against my relationship with Tamara." He looked to the floor. "She was right when she said Henry didn't like her. I didn't believe her when she said he was rude to her but now…," he trailed off. "Don't fill his head with fantasy."

Rumple gave him a sad look. He hated that look and Neal refused to fall for it. He would marry Tamara. It was his decision and no one else's. His father walked over to him and put a hand on his shoulder. He felt a jolt, as if he was shocked by static electricity. Instead of being in the pawn shop, Neal suddenly found himself back in his apartment in New York.

_"Get away from me!" he yelled. "You can't stop me from going to her and my son!"_

_ Neal grabbed a bag and started tossing a few items in it. He grabbed a book, a pen and a small box. The person on the other side of the door was no longer speaking. They'd be in his apartment in no time. He locked himself in his bathroom and grabbed a razor blade. He cut a small hiding spot in the book and opened the small box he took. The small opal ring and a photo of Emma that she took in one of those photo booth things were quickly stashed away. _

_ He bit the pen cap off and quickly wrote a message to himself. It wasn't the first time he experienced a break in whatever it was that was keeping him from her. In case he didn't get away, he wanted to leave a message to maybe bring himself back to reality. _

_ "Emma. Believe in that and nothing else." He was getting ready to write more but the knock at the bathroom door distracted him. _

_ He felt his sanity slipping away. Emma and the knowledge he recently discovered about having a son were leaving him. If this book with its contents were discovered it would be game over. The one remaining link he had to Emma would be destroyed along with his sanity. He quickly stashed it in the bag and threw a towel and his discarded gym clothes back in. He shoved it the cabinet under the sink. She was slipping away from him. He closed his eyes and prayed he'd have the strength to fight it. _

_ "I'll be out in a minute, honey," he called as he opened his eyes. _

Neal gasped as he opened his eyes and he was back in his father's shop. It was so real. He took deep breaths to try to calm himself. Rumple was just watching him. Waiting for something. Anything. What the hell was that? He felt such fear moments ago. Fear for Emma and their son he'd never met. Fear for himself that he'd never get to see her again. What game was his father playing at?

"What the hell did you just do? What did you put in my head?" He was furious and yelling.

"I put nothing in your head, Bae."

"You are lying!" Neal started to back away. "You put the flash in my head. It wasn't real."

"Bae, please…," Rumple was reaching out for him.

"No! Stay away." Neal backed away towards the door and stopped when he reached it. He quickly unlocked it. "Whatever game you are playing…it's not going to work. You can't break up my relationship with Tamara with lies."

He flashed his father one last look before rushing out of the shop. He already felt like he was going insane but now it was just getting a million times worse. Tamara was the only normal thing in his life and now everyone in this town was trying to tear them apart. He felt a strong urge to get to Tamara. He began running and didn't stop until he reached their hotel room.

_**Mary Margaret**_

Her heart was breaking a million times over watching Emma struggle with her feelings internally. She wanted to reach out and hold her daughter but she didn't want to push her away so instead they walked home in silence. Mary Margaret's plan to have a nice dinner with her family wasn't going to happen now. When they walked in she saw Henry and David had the burgers and fries they picked up from Granny's all set on the table. She could see the concern on her husband's face when he took in Emma's appearance and the cut on his wife's face.

"What happened?" he whispered once Emma was upstairs.

"I'm not sure." She allowed David to examine her face. "I walked in and she had everything that wasn't bolted down flying around. I'm not sure what hit me. Neal had just left."

"I don't understand. They love each other. Why is he making her go all "bad magic"?" Henry cried.

"Love is complicated." Mary Margaret led Henry to the table. "Their love is complicated." She sighed. "How did it go today?"

David and Henry had been working on Henry's new project. Her grandson had a bad feeling about Tamara and had voiced that feeling. No one in her family had a good feeling about Tamara but they couldn't put their finger on what it was. Henry just wanted his parents together but Mary Margaret and David just wanted to make sure their daughter was safe. David kept his reservations about Tamara to himself until last night. Together they decided if Tamara was a threat they'd take care of her.

"Gold is on board." David took a seat at the table and picked at a fry. "Neal walked in on us. He looked very out of sorts." He looked over at Henry. "The man Henry heard in their room is Greg Mendel…that I'm sure."

"We need to figure out what they are up to. Emma's powers are getting stronger and far more out of control." Mary Margaret rubbed her eyes.

She was startled when David's phone rang. She listened to David's end of the conversation. It was Gold and they were discussing Neal. She gave Henry a small smile and urged him to eat. She didn't blame him for not having an appetite. They both waited for David to hang up.

"Neal is upset and thinks we are all out to ruin his relationship with Tamara." David stood up and lifted Emma's plate. "Could you take this to your mom? I need a moment with Mary Margaret."

"If it's about the operation, I want to know." Henry crossed his arms but finally caved after a mini staring contest with David. "Fine. I'm coming right back down." He took Emma's dinner and stomped upstairs.

"Neal remembered something. Gold wasn't sure what but his mind is opening. Whatever it is that he feels is missing is slowly coming back to him." David was rushing with his words. "If Tamara did something to him her hold is weakening. She could get dangerous."

"Well, we just have to watch and see what happens then." Mary Margaret managed to get in before Henry came back down with the plate. "She won't take it?"

"No." He dropped down in his seat. "I miss her."

"We all do," David added.

They all just wanted Emma back in their lives. Each day she pulled farther away from those who cared about her and retreated in to herself.

_**Regina**_

Regina found herself outside Gold's shop. She was conflicted on if she should help them or just convince Mary Margaret that Henry was better off with her until all this died down. It wasn't a ploy to take Henry from them either. She just felt that it was a better option right now. Emma and Neal would never go for it though. She saw Gold and Belle inside the store talking and as she was about to enter she heard someone call her name.

"Hello, " she said to Mary Margaret.

"Here to see Gold?" She fidgeted with her hands.

"Yes." Regina nodded to the door. "Belle is in there. I heard the cursed identity I created for her as a back up has surfaced." She felt horrible about it.

After she killed her mother, she started feeling true remorse for all the bad things she had done to people. It was as if it was her punishment. If you asked Archie, it wasn't a punishment but rather her conscious coming back to her and he said she should view it as a gift. That the remorse and guilt she was feeling would help ground her and make her a better person. What good was it if she couldn't right her wrongs?

"Can you fix it?"

"I tried and it didn't work. I'm not even sure how she got those memories. I didn't use the trigger to make them surface. "She watched them inside. "I was going to talk to Gold but I'm sure he won't want to see me now that his darling Belle is completely gone to him."

"I'd have to agree that you are probably not someone he wants to see right now." Mary Margaret was nervous, Regina could tell.

"I thought perhaps things were better between us after the dinner we had with Henry. Yet, you look like you want to run as far away from me as possible." Regina couldn't believe she was hurt by this. She figured that was what having her conscious back was like.

"Old habits die hard? I'm just used to you plotting against me and trying to kill me or my family."

Regina took one last glance at Gold and Belle before motioning to her former step-daughter to follow her. They walked a few buildings down then stopped at a bench.

"I'm very sorry about all of that." Regina took a seat. "I've been seeing Dr. Hopper and we've been working on a lot of things. I feel all the bad things I've ever done. It's wretched. I thought it was a curse for killing my own mother. Archie says it is gift and it will help me be a better person. I feel all the pain I caused you and I know sorry doesn't take it away. But, I am sorry."

"Oh, Regina." Mary Margaret wiped a tear from her eye and sniffled. "No, you are right. It won't take it away." She reached out and took Regina's hand. "I believe you though and thank you."

Regina did something she never could picture herself doing. She threw her arms around Mary Margaret and held on tight. She surprised herself by her actions but what Mary Margaret did next surprised her even more. She felt the younger woman wrap her arms around her and hold tight. That action brought down all her walls. There was no longer a hesitation as to if she'd help them. It was now how and could she get them to trust her.


	12. Chapter 12

_Thank you so much for all the reviews and the new story favorites/follows __All of you who are reading are the best! _

_In about 20 minutes a new episode of OUAT comes on. Can't express how excited I am. YAY!_

_I hope everyone enjoys this next one. It has a few different point of views for you and ends with our trouble Emma._

_Thanks for reading _

CHAPTER 12

**Henry**

"Operation Swanfire is a bust," Henry sighed as he sat down at the table with his grandparents.

"You can't force two people together," Mary Margaret offered.

"And your dad isn't thinking clearly. Your mom is a thousand times better than Tamara," David added before shoveling a forkful of macaroni and cheese in to his mouth.

"Charming!" Mary Margaret yelled. "We can't judge her until we know what is going on."

Henry watched his gramps. He raised his eyebrow and continued to eat. His grandmother frowned. This was his life recently. Everyone was on edge because of Emma and her magic. If she didn't have it then they could just tell her something was off about Tamara and she would do something. That was who Emma was. But right now, she was off somewhere probably blowing something up. It made Henry sad.

"Can I see my mom tomorrow?" Henry asked.

"She's meeting us for dinner," David answered.

"My other mom. Regina."

Neither grandparent answered him. He couldn't ask Emma if he could go because she was not around half the time. He didn't want to see his father because he was with HER and SHE made him feel like he was an insect she could squash. It made him nervous. SHE was keeping his parents apart and was doing some kind of magic and he was sure SHE was cheating on Neal with the other outsider Greg. Life was just super.

_**Neal**_

Neal watched Emma from across the street. It was the second time he'd run in to her since she kissed him at the Sheriff Station. He had gone over to talk to her about Henry and she had kissed him. He felt horrible about what happened as he was sure he had somehow given her mixed signals. He felt Tamara's grasp on his hand tighten and he smiled. Things were wonderful between them now after he told her the truth about everything.

"She scares me." Tamara whispered. "The things she can do. I heard she can make men fall in love with her."

"She won't hurt you. Emma's a good person."

Neal spoke too soon. Emma had noticed them walking hand in and hand. He felt the ground rumble beneath him and Tamara jumped at the vibration. Emma simply smirked as she continued on her way. Why was she being this way? He tried to apologize for giving her the wrong idea but she refused his calls. Even Henry had pulled away from him in the last few days.

"A good person doesn't blow things up, Neal. People are talking. They are scared."

Neal was shaking his head. He understood why Tamara was scared. He understood why Emma was acting out. He understood why Henry had pulled away from him. He just didn't know how to fix any of it.

_**David**_

"He said she kissed him?" David shook his head. This did not make sense. From the report Hook gave him of that day at the station, Neal initiated then ended all physical contact.

"Yes." Gold shifted his weight on his cane. "He said he felt bad that perhaps he gave Emma wrong signals. He wishes Henry would come over to visit but said he understood."

"Well, Henry doesn't want to be near Tamara. She makes him uncomfortable."

David had his hand on the door knob to Gold's shop. They were sure Tamara was up to no good but no one could figure it out. Regina didn't remember bringing her over to this world and those they talked to had no recollection of who she would have been. Perhaps, she was just a normal woman with a really strong hold on Neal and someone else put the love spells on Hook and August.

"Have you told your daughter yet about our concerns?" Gold questioned.

"No. We felt it best not to stir up her anger more than it already is."

"I agree." Gold paused and seemed hesitant. "I do worry for her. This land is not like ours. Magic is so different. It's unsteady for even myself or Regina to use but Emma's emotions and her inability to control them makes her dangerous. I hate to say it." He looked David in the eye. "None of us were meant to be here. I feel the only way to control her magic is to be back home."

"Back home where you have all your power?" David laughed bitterly. "We both want our children to be happy. You having all your powers back will not make your son happy."

"No. I believe only Emma and Henry will make him truly happy. And she is in no position right now to be a mother or in a relationship with Neal. She needs to focus on herself right now. On the new power raging through her. And it is, Charming. It's like a storm right now tearing her apart."

David wasn't sure how to respond. After a minute or two of silence he managed something. "I've got to go meet my family for dinner soon. We'll figure this out soon. I'm sure."

He nodded then walked out the shop. He hoped Emma would remember and meet them for dinner. She was completely withdrawn now and only spent time in the forest. She told Mary Margaret she needed to be alone to work on her magic. They all missed her and were worried. Henry needed his mother more than anything right now and he was just thankful that Regina wasn't evil anymore and was now on their side. He didn't think he could handle it if she was against them as well.

_**Regina**_

She had been trying to figure out why the stranger in town seemed so familiar to her. There was something in his eyes. It was like seeing an old friend. Then as she watched him eating at Granny's it hit her. Owen. The little boy she had fallen for and wanted as a son. He and his father were camping in the woods the night her curse brought everyone to this world. She invited them to dinner. Baked turnovers with Owen and decided that one day the three of them could be a family. His father, Kurt, didn't think her idea of them staying in Storybrooke was a good one.

"Kurt," she whispered.

Watching Owen on the other side of the town line with those police officers, searching for his father had been heartbreaking. She knew what it felt like to be alone and now Owen was alone. She wanted to go get Kurt and bring him to his son but that would put all her plans in jeopardy. No. Owen would be fine in time. And in time perhaps she could let Kurt go.

"Madame Mayor," he greeted pulling her out of her thoughts.

"Mr. Mendell." She smiled brightly. "I see you have healed up nicely. I suspect you'll be leaving our little town shortly?"

"I don't know." He shrugged. "I like it here. I may stay a bit longer."

"I'm going for a walk. Would you care to join me? I can give you a tour." She wanted him to say yes so she could talk to him. See if he remembered who she was. He just nodded ok and waited for her to lead the way.

She gave him a brief history of the town. The fake history. She didn't dare them him how Storybrooke really came to be. When they reached the docks she pointed to a bench and they sat down. They both bundled themselves into their coats as it was rather chilly.

"I never thought I'd see you again." She didn't look at him. Her eyes were fixed on the water. She pulled a lanyard out of her purse. "I've kept this with me as a reminder of our time together."

"Where's my father?" He asked not wasting time with any false pleasantries.

Regina put on a fake smile. A smile she perfected long ago. Telling him where his father was would not be a good idea right now. No, not at all.

"He left shortly after you did."

"That's a lie. He would have found me." Greg stood up and cast an angry look down at her. "You did something to him. I've spent my life looking for him and I won't leave until I find him."

"Then I'm afraid you'll be making Storybrooke your new home." Regina rose and stood across from him. "I suggest you leave and move on with your life."

She gave him a smile then moved away from him and the docks. How had he not commented on the fact that she hadn't aged? And if he remembered Granny from his time here as a boy then her not aging should have been a red flag as well. Yes, something was not only off with Tamara but with Owen as well. She shivered at the thought of the unknown.

_**Emma**_

Emma found herself in the woods. She focused on a rock and wanted to move it. It exploded frustrating her more. Everything was blowing up. Stupid Neal. Stupid Gold. Stupid August. Stupid curse. She couldn't stop thinking of everything that ruined parts of her life. She found herself for a moment enjoying the destruction until her phone rang and broke her out of her trance. She ignored the text from Mary Margaret reminding her about dinner.

She went out to the woods everyday now after her 'make-out session' with Neal. She saw Henry at breakfast and dinner. She ran into Neal twice and both times brushed past him. Both times he was with Tamara and Emma tried not to hate her but she couldn't help it. Something didn't feel right about her but if she said anything people would just say she was jealous. Seeing Tamara the Perfect made her blood boil which made more things in woods blow up. She wasn't succeeding in controlling her magic. Today on her way to the woods she was stopped by Tamara the Perfect who had her arm in Neal's.

"Emma, can we talk?" she asked sweetly.

"No." Emma kept walking.

"Please?" Tamara the Perfect tried to keep pace with Emma. Neal followed slowly. "We should probably talk at some point. I'm going to be in Henry's life you know."

Emma spun on her heals. "I don't trust you." She looked Tamara in the eye. "I don't like you. You stay away from my son."

"Excuse me, but he's Neal's son too." She pulled Neal close. "Are you going to let her?"

"Tam, just leave it."

"Yes, listen to Neal." She leaned in to Tamara and whispered. "They are mine. Got it?" She surprised herself when she said "they". She meant to say Henry but apparently she was being possessive of both now.

"Let's go Neal." Tamara pulled Neal away.

Emma smirked at the pair. "Yes, Neal. You should listen to your little wife to be." She smiled at their retreating figures and jumped back when Neal took three big strides back to her.

"I don't know what has gotten in to you. But this," he moved his hands in a crazy gesture. "This new Emma. No one likes it. Get your head straight ok?"

Emma just smiled and turned around and started walking away. She threw her hand in the air and smiled even brighter when she heard a window crash. Maybe scaring Tamara away was what she needed to do. Neal stupidly told her all about Storybrooke and the magic. Even though she warned him that the town didn't want or need an outsider. It was like he wasn't even making the decision. She was really trying to convince herself that she wanted Tamara gone for the good of the town and not because seeing them drove her insane.

There were times when Emma truly tried to control her magic. She could clear her head and try to control it but more times than not she couldn't. Was her magic really this erratic or was it this world? Or was it her anger? At the castle she was able to create something new out of something destroyed. Was her magic good there and bad here? She needed it to be good.

"Dammit!" she cursed when a tree blew up.

"What were you trying to do?" Ruby asked from behind her.

"Nothing." Emma turned around and stuffed her hands in her pockets. "I think about that…Neal's fiancée Tamara the Perfect and things blow. I think about the curse and everything blows up."

Ruby chuckled. "Tamara the Perfect?"

"Have you seen her?" Emma huffed. "She knows everything. Can do everything. Never a hair out of place. Tamara the Perfect. If she was from the Enchanted Forest that would be her name."

"I think you need more human interaction. You can't stay out here every day. There are people who want their Emma back, ya know." Ruby nodded behind her to the town. "You need to eat. Just think of Henry. You shouldn't want to blow anything up then."

"Did Mary Margaret send you out here?" Emma waiting for Ruby's answer and when she just smiled it confirmed it. "Fine."

"Are you jealous of Tamara the Perfect?" Ruby teased as they entered town.

"What?" She stopped. "No. He moved on. I moved on." Emma then continued on with Ruby jogging to get ahead of her.

"That's a big fat lie."

Ruby opened the door to Granny's and stopped abruptly. Emma slammed right in to her friend and was caught off guard for a moment before pulling her to the side. Her parents and Henry were at a booth and started getting up upon seeing her enter. Ruby's head was turned towards the counter. There they sat. Neal with his back to the door and Tamara the Perfect was grinning as she leaned in to kiss Neal. All the while watching Emma. It was just like the last time. She was taunting Emma. Her raged boiled.

"Emma, how nice to see you," her mother said loud enough for Neal to her. "You've been gone all day…again."

"Becoming one with nature?" David asked while pulling out a twig from her hair.

"Just trying to control it." She gritted her teeth.

"Why don't we all head home?" Snow suggested.

"No." Emma moved to the booth her family had been in not moments ago. "I would like to stay here." She felt her father's hand on her arm. "I'm fine."

"You don't look fine."

"Can I go with you tomorrow?" Henry asked sliding in next to Emma.

"No, kid. You stay home."

She saw his face fall. Part of her felt sad. Part of her didn't care. A good part didn't care about anything. She felt cold inside. Cold and angry. And that woman had her hand on his leg. She was doing it on purpose. How Emma knew it was unclear…intuition perhaps or something greater than that? She knew Tamara the Perfect didn't care about him. It was a show and he was too stupid to get it.

"Can you stop groping him?" Emma snapped. She nudged Henry out of the booth. Everyone looked at her. Neal stood up and was going to say something. "No. This is between me and HER." She nodded to the door. "Outside."

"Stay here," Neal said quietly to Tamara. "Come on, Emma. We will leave and you can stay and enjoy your dinner. I get it, I'm a jerk. Just please calm down."

She ignored Neal and pretty much everyone else who was trying to tell her to calm down. She grabbed the other woman's arm. "I know what you are doing." She dragged her out of Granny's. The diner emptied out behind them. Emma threw Tamara to the ground. "You think you can fool me?"

Neal went to her side in an instant which angered Emma. She continued to ignore everyone's pleas and surprisingly no one tried to touch her. All she wanted was to hurt this woman. Neal refused to leave her side so Emma moved him a few feet away. It wasn't a violent jerk, she just kind of slid him away. Her eyes turned dark and with a flick of her hands Tamara threw her hands to her neck and began to gasp for air.

"I will let go and you tell me why you are messing with all of us." Emma loosened up on her.

"I'm not." Tamara coughed and tried to take in some deep breaths.

She could hear multiple voices yelling at her to stop and pleading with. Someone said she was going to kill her. Emma didn't care what they were saying she was just on a mission. Everything clicked. Who would gain anything from casting a love spell on Hook and August? Who would be using magic that Gold couldn't identify? She felt something odd since the day she woke up like something bad was in the air. It all clicked. Now all she had to do was get answers.


	13. Chapter 13

_Thank you for the awesome reviews on the last chapter. Thank you to all you new readers/followers. It is really great when I see those alerts._

_I hope everyone enjoys this as much as I did writing it._

_ENJOY_

CHAPTER 13

_**Emma**_

"Who sent you?" She forgot she had put a hold on her neck so she let go so Tamara could breathe a little. "You do not love him. You are using him. I want to know why!" Once again she tightened her hold and then lifted her off of her feet.

"Co-Co," Tamara tried while still struggling for air.

"Co?" Emma dropped her.

"Cora." She coughed and Neal rushed to her side. "She saved me from the curse. I came with everyone but didn't end up here. I had my memories but didn't age. She said I needed to find someone when the time was right. Someone who she could use to hurt Rumplestiltskin." Tamara rubbed her neck. "She said once the curse was lifted I'd know how to find him." She pulled a necklace out from undershirt. "This led me to Baelfire."

"Tam?" Neal looked at her and Emma could the hold Tamara had on him was fading.

"Well, now that's not my real name." She smiled when realization hit Neal and he moved away. "She gave me memories and a potion to give him false memories of our life together. She wanted me to get information on the dagger but you came in to the picture and she was worried you would ruin it all." Tamara stood up tall. "But, your uncontrollable magic made Cora rather happy. She enjoyed watching you that night you transported back to the Enchanted Forest." Tamara grimaced when Emma grabbed her physically and sat on top of her. Emma punched her splitting her lip open.

_**Tamara**_

Poor Neal. He looked so sad and confused. Emma was just all kinds of crazy. Tamara had not anticipated this. They weren't supposed to find her out until she was ready. Now, she was forced in to plan B. She was not stupid enough to give Emma the truth. No. Instead, she'd give them the story they wanted to hear. Cora was gone. She was their Big Bad but now she was gone and could tell anyone if Tamara was telling the truth or not. Hook was still under her spell so he couldn't out her quite yet.

Now she just needed to survive Emma's wrath without letting on what she was really up to. Her throat hurt from Emma's magical grasp and her lip hurt from her physical attack. She could take a beating.

"I should kill you."

"Do it!" Tamara licked the blood off her lip. "But first, can I tell you how your precious Neal was ready to come for you? I had come just in time. He had a bag packed and was ready to try to make amends with you. He showed me the postcard and told me all about his lost love. He was drunk off his ass. It was too easy. A little slip of the potion and poof."

Oh, a little twist of the truth was working just fine. Emma's fury was intensifying. Tamara was loving this. The crowd was gathering. She saw the brat, Henry, being held back by his grandmother and Neal was just watching. Looking like the fool she always thought him to be.

_**Emma**_

"Emma," she heard her mother's voice behind her.

"I should kill you. If Cora was around I'd deliver you to her and I'm sure she would have destroyed you for failing her." Emma got off Cora's accomplice. She saw Gold in the crowd. "Perhaps the Dark One would like to have a word with you for trying to use his son."

"Tam?" Neal looked at her with both hurt and anger in his eyes.

"She promised me a place at her court once we all returned. I was living in squalor. I'm not sorry." She laughed. "They've won. You may not see it now, but I can. Your family is now divided."

"And with Cora gone what was your plan?"

"Destroy you." Tamara smirked. "Make a deal with Regina for her to get the brat back and Neal and I would go back to New York. Regina hates you and your family for being the reason she killed her own mother. If I could destroy you and cause your parents pain then maybe Regina would give me the deal her mother did." She moved towards Emma with her fist clenched. "You ruined it. I had him under my influence. You were a distant memory and with you in the picture my hold was loosening. He was dreaming about you again. I had to get rid of you."

"August and Hook?"

"Oh, that was just fun. My magic is rather limited but I used what I had to do that." Tamara caught Emma off guard and landed punch to her jaw. "I'm just sorry Cora is gone. She would have enjoyed this."

Emma was done with her. With all the anger in body she flew Tamara towards the brick wall of the building next to Granny's in an attempt to do serious damage to the woman. She watched as another force caught her in the air and set her down. Gold was standing to the side and Emma knew he did it. He told Tamara to run or he'd kill her which angered Emma. How dare he let her go after what she did. She used his son.

Tamara was starting to run away and Emma couldn't allow that. She reached her hand out and pointed it towards Tamara. The woman started to, and not of her own free will, move back towards Emma. She didn't want her going anywhere. She wanted to watch her suffer. Emma felt a force against her and saw Gold with an outstretched hand. Tamara seemed to be frozen. Emma tried to throw her again. Everything in her wanted the woman to suffer. And Gold was stopping it and next to him was Mother Superior. They were both trying to help Tamara.

"Let her go, Miss Swan." Gold said. "You don't want to do this. You don't want to be me."

"I want her to suffer!" Emma screamed and all the windows on the street shattered. She watched Gold produce a green ball in his hand and throw it at her. She fell back and her hold on Tamara was gone. "No!" Emma tried to get up but couldn't.

"I suggest you run now." Mother Superior took a step towards Tamara and when she didn't move Mother Superior pointed her wand at Tamara. "Now!"

Once she was gone Emma took a deep breath and then saw everyone looking at her. Some had fear in their eyes. Others had shock. She couldn't read Neal. She felt an arm wrap around her and thought it would have been her mom but it couldn't be.

"We will figure this all out," David said in her ear as he tightened his grip.

"You were going to kill her? Do you know what you've become?" Neal yelled.

"She was using you!" Emma held back tears. Her anger was gone now. "I couldn't let…" She stopped when she saw her mother with tears in her eyes and Henry. Poor Henry.

"You…you really are just like her. You used your magic for evil." He cried.

"I didn't mean to. I couldn't. I can't." She looked up at David at a loss. "I can't."

"You can't learn to control it here, Miss Swan. It's too unpredictable here." Gold came up to her and David. "Back there you can learn to harness it and learn to control your emotions. They are the source of your powers."

"I wanted to kill her." It dawned on Emma just how dangerous she was. "How can I create things over there but only destroy here?" She looked back up David again. She saw it in his eyes. The decision she knew she would have to make but didn't want to alone. He let go of her for a moment.

"Snow, I love you so much. Take care of everyone. When the beans are ready," he couldn't finish. He moved in and kissed her passionately.

"Kid, I'm so sorry. Please don't hate me. I can't risk hurting you. Or your dad." Tears streamed down her face. "It's not goodbye, Henry. I'll see you soon. I love you."

Emma and her father swapped places as she gave her mother a quick hug and said I love you. She could not do more than that for fear of losing it. David said goodbye to his grandson. She felt her father pull her close and wrap both arms around her. She wanted to hug Neal goodbye. In another lifetime she would have held him close and kissed him. But, their time had come and gone but her love for him was still there.

"Charming," Mary Margaret said softly. "Please." He just shook his head sadly. "I will find you."

"I know." He smiled.

"Emma," Neal said her name with such force and urgency. "Don't do this." He stood next to a crying Henry. "We can figure this out. You don't have to go there. There is nothing good back there. I saw friends die to the Ogres. Don't go." His voice cracked.

"I can come back you know." She smiled and looked up at David. "Daddy?"

"It's ok Princess." He kissed the top of her head.

Emma looked at her remaining family one last time. Her mother and Henry in tears. Their friends in tears. Neal…a tear rolling down his face. She thought she heard him say I love you as the wind whipped up in her face. She buried her face in to David's chest, just like the last time. They returned in the Nursery again. She opened her eyes and was shocked to see the room looking pristine and intact minus the wardrobe. David's eyes were red. She was crying.

"I wanted to see something nice. I didn't want to see destruction when we came back." She clung tightly to him. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"Don't apologize. We will get everything under control with you. See, you made something beautiful here." David pulled her face up.

"But maybe I can only be here now? What if I can't go back? What if I just lost my family?"

"You can always make your little magical trip back to get your mom and Henry." He sighed. "However we do need the rest of our friends and Kingdom."

"I'm tired."

She smiled when he told her she could sleep but first she had to follow him to his personal armory as he wanted to get some weapons to protect them for the night. She followed him down to a bigger room. Probably their room. He opened a door and inside were swords and weapons that hadn't been touched in 28 years. They looked like they could use some cleaning. Emma touched them and they all started to shine again. She smiled at David looking for his approval. She then spun slowly around the room and watched as it was restored to what she thought was its old glory.

"I'm a little dizzy now," she laughed.

"You did spin in a circle." David laughed. He then caught her when she suddenly passed out. This much magic, she'd be out for a while. "Welcome home Princess Emma." David carried her to the bed then returned to his weapons closet.

_**Neal**_

Neal was furious. How did everything in his life just fall apart in the span of less than 10 minutes? He had been engaged to Tamara, a wonderful and smart woman. They met on the subway 3 years ago. He proposed to her over dinner at her apartment. He hadn't really thought of Emma in a few years. Now come to find that was all a lie. Tamara had come in to his life a few months ago and due some magical potion he was led to believe he had some amazing love affair when in reality he was on his way for find Emma.

And Emma had magic – that was a shocker when he learned that the first time. He knew she would break a curse but never in his wildest dreams did he imagine her blowing things up and trying to murder someone. That was not the Emma he knew and had fallen in love with.

"She'll come back. My mom will realize what she did and come back." Henry tried to convince himself. His grandmother just knelt down next to him and wiped a tear away. "But it's not like last time. She can come back. Her and Gramps. Whenever they want."

"I don't think we'll see them for awhile." Mary Margaret was trying to be strong. She looked at him with sad eyes.

"Why don't we get Henry home?" It was the only thing he could say.

"But our Prince," someone in the crowd said. "Who will protect us and lead us home?"

"Mary Margaret will," Ruby spoke up. "The court will re-convene and we will find the royal knights. Just give them some time."

Thomas stepped up and put his hand on Mary Margaret's shoulder. "And I will help. We may not all be from the same Kingdoms but we all want to go home and I will stand by Snow and do what Charming would do. We will protect the beans and find a way home and we'll have our Prince and the Savior there waiting for us."

Neal was thankful for Ruby and Thomas. He was still in complete and total shock that Emma and her father just abandoned everyone. He couldn't believe she abandoned her mother and son after knowing her own pain of being abandoned. He wondered if his face showed any of the pain and hurt that Mary Margaret's and Henry's faces did.

"But I don't understand." Henry threw himself in a chair at the table once they were back at the Charming apartment. "Why did they have to leave? I didn't want her to go. I was just scared."

"I know." Mary Margaret took a seat next to him. He saw her glance over to David's sword.

Neal was unable to speak. He moved to the kitchen and began rummaging through cabinets and drawers earning odd stares from his son and Mary Margaret. When Emma was sad or worried she would always want a mug of hot chocolate with cinnamon. The cinnamon part of it always made him laugh. He always found a way to get it for Emma even when they were on their last dollar. Maybe he'd feel closer to her. He kept on his mission and when he was done he carried three mugs to the table.

"Emma always liked this especially when things got crazy." He took a sip. "I remember one time…," he laughed recalling the memory, "she stood in the rain crying over something. I can't remember what now but I found myself searching the entire car for enough change for her damn cocoa. Then I get it and they forgot to put in her cinnamon. Cinnamon? I had never heard of that before. Anyway, let's say she had an even bigger melt down."

He saw Mary Margaret smile over the brim of her mug. "It's a family thing. Thank you, Neal." Her eyes were sad. "I don't think I can wait for those beans to grow. I am tired of my family being separated."

"We'll be together." Henry kept his head down. "She needs to fix herself and needs Gramps help. They'll be back. I know it." Henry looked up with tears in his eyes. "They have to come back soon."

Mary Margaret moved to comfort Henry but must have noticed Neal's desire to do so. He wrapped his arms around Henry while he cried. Who knew if they'd be back? Realistically speaking…if the Ogres were back what hope did the two of them have alone. If there was anyone left unaffected by the curse they'd be hiding. They were on their own.

"I need to sleep." Henry jumped up and dried his eyes. "Aurora and Mulan can help. They just need to know they are back." Henry started towards his and Emma's room.

"Slow down," Mary Margaret called out. "It's not that easy and I'll not have you go back there."

Neal remembered Henry's story about the room and how Mary Margaret and David both went as well to help guide them home. No way was Henry risking that again. That room burned him. And who was to say anyone would be waiting to talk to them. Mary Margaret had a look in her eye and it was the same one he'd seen on Emma when an idea crossed her mind.

"Neal, can you get your father?"

Sighing, he grabbed his phone and called his father. He told him what he was pretty sure Mary Margaret was up to. He knew David would not approve of letting his wife do this but Neal couldn't stop it.


	14. Chapter 14

_Thank you everyone who read/reviewed/followed the last chapter. I really appreciate your support and comments __ I really wanted to have this posted sooner but I got sick so all I wanted to do was watch TV._

_I hope you all enjoy the next chapter. _

CHAPTER 14

_**Mary Margaret**_

She knew Henry and Neal were concerned. Gold was ready to blow the sleeping dust in her face as she fell back on her bed. Henry was on the bed next to her holding her hand while Neal sat in a chair close to Henry. She had to hope Aurora would somehow be there. Her body fell into a slumber and she was in the red room. It felt like forever but who knew how long she was there before she saw movement.

"Who is there?" the voice called.

"Aurora?" Mary Margaret cried as she tried to avoid the flames. Soon she found herself standing in front of Aurora.

"Snow White? Why are you here?" Aurora was scared.

"It's ok. I won't keep you long." Hopefully Mulan would wake her up so she wouldn't be there long. "Emma and my husband came back to the Enchanted Forest. Can you and Mulan go to the Castle and help them?"

"Yes!" Aurora yelled. "We released Philip's soul from the wraith. The three of us shall journey to your castle."

"Thank you Aurora." Mary Margaret jumped back from a flame. "Now go, wake up!"

Mary Margaret's eyes flew open. She did it. Aurora was there and she got her message out. David and Emma would soon have help. Henry hugged her and Neal and Gold looked at her as if willing her to share what happened.

"Aurora was there. They are going to the Castle to help."

"That's great news!" Henry hugged her tighter.

She could only nod in agreement. That didn't mean they were safe however. Mary Margaret got up from the bed and headed in to the kitchen. She needed to clear her head and get her mind off the fact half her family was in another realm. Opening the fridge she pulled out items to make dinner. Neal was watching her curiously. Much like she probably did when he was rummaging for stuff to make them hot chocolate.

"What? We all need to eat." She started chopping up food. She wasn't sure what she was chopping. "Gold, please stay for dinner."

"Grams? You are cutting up hot dogs."

"Oh," she said looking down at what she had been cutting. He was right. "Ok, maybe we should just eat cereal." She grabbed some bowls and a box of cereal and carried them to the table then returned with milk. "Sit. Eat."

"Mary Margaret? Are you ok?" Neal questioned.

"I'm fine. Let's eat." She pulled out a chair and sat down at the table. Henry was the only one to sit. "Please, sit!" She yelled. When Neal and Gold sat down she started pouring cereal in everyone's bowl. "Eat." She waited and when no one made a move she slammed her hand on the table. "What? Is no one hungry?" She grabbed her bowl and Henry's and stormed to the kitchen and threw them in the sink. "Fine." She returned and took Neal and Gold's bowls. She poured the contents in the sink and held one in her hand. "FINE!" She watched the bowl shatter on the floor. She watched another shatter on the wall. And a third and a fourth.

"Papa?" Neal glanced over to his father. "Can you take Henry for a walk?"

"NO! Henry stays here. Regina will know that David and Emma are gone and she will try to take Henry. I don't care if she helped us before. She will take him if given the chance." Mary Margaret moved towards Henry. There was no way Regina was getting anywhere near her grandson. She didn't care that it appeared Regina was changing and helping them. In her hysterical state Henry wasn't safe out there.

"We won't let that happen." Gold spoke up. "The boy and I will be right back." He nodded down to Henry. "Bae will stay with her. Let's go."

She watched Gold lead Henry out of the apartment. Neal leaned against the door after they left and just watched her as if she was some kind of bomb about to go off. Mary Margaret stared at him and noticed a tear fall down his face. He didn't try to wipe it away. He just kept his eyes on her.

"You don't get to cry!" she hissed. "You abandoned my daughter and caused her so much pain. You did this!"

"I'm sorry."

"You're sorry?! She loves you."

"I love her too. And I can't apologize enough for hurting her." Neal pushed himself off the wall. "If Tamara hadn't tricked me I would have been here sooner and maybe this wouldn't have happened. Some of my memories are coming back. There is a lot Emma didn't know that I had planned on telling her."

"Well you are too late and now they are there and we are here and there are Ogres and the castle is destroyed and…and…" she held back a sob. "What if they don't come back? What if something happens?"

"We can't think like that." Neal walked about to her and she allowed him to give her a hug. She felt a tear fall on her shoulder. "I won't lose her."

Mary Margaret held on to Neal as if he was keeping her grounded. As if he let go she would crumble. After a minute or two she pulled away and forced a smile on her face. She felt ridiculous for throwing bowls but her heart was breaking and she cracked a bit. She wondered if this was how David felt when she and Emma went to the Enchanted Forest.

_**David**_

He watched Emma sleep from a chair on the other side of the room as he played with the sword in his hand spinning it around and trying to get the feel of it. It wasn't his normal one. That was still in Storybrooke. It had been two days since they arrived and Emma had been sleeping and he hoped she woke up soon. He needed to check things out and she needed nourishment. The day before he slipped out for a bit and managed to snag a few fish from the water and once Emma awoke he would go fish for more.

David looked down at his clothes and shook his head. He wondered what his old clothes looked like after 28 years of sitting around. Emma had made his weapons look like new and the room as well. It was too much to hope that in all that their clothing was restored as well. He got up off the chair and opened up a dresser. He smiled when he saw his and Snow's clothes in perfect condition.

He grabbed some pants and a fresh shirt and walked outside of the room to change. After he was dressed in his old clothes he took a walk around the castle making sure he hadn't missed something or someone. He peered out a window and saw figure on a horse galloping towards the castle. This put him immediately on edge. He ran towards the gates of the castle to meet the possible intruder.

"Prince James!" the man yelled and he jumped off the horse.

David squinted and took in the man. A smile spread across face when he saw it was one of their most loyal guards, Luke. How did Luke survived both the battle at the castle and the curse? They embraced in a very manly hug.

"Come, let's get behind what's left of the castle walls."

"Is the Queen here?" Luke asked with hope in his eyes. They led his horse to a spot where he could tie her up. "I tried to get here sooner when I heard she was back but I got here it was too late."

"No, Snow isn't here." David was leading him in to the castle. "Tell me Luke, how did you escape the curse?"

"I do not know. What I remember was fighting the Evil Queen's men trying to get to you and Snow. Then out of nowhere the men I was fighting just disappeared. A few of us were left behind and we were frozen in time." His face fell into a frown. "A lot of good men have died since time started again. The Ogres…"

"She must have left our most loyal guards back here so that if the curse broke you wouldn't be there to help us." David paused for a moment thinking. "I don't remember seeing Caitlyn in our new world. Was she left behind too?"

Luke's brown eyes lit up. "She is back at our hideout. One of Snow's birds came to tell us when she arrived not long ago. Cait wanted to so badly to see baby Emma but we heard rumors that Snow came back with an adult claiming to be the Princess." Luke looked at David with concern. "My King, you haven't fallen prey to some dark magic in regards to the baby have you?"

Luke had not only been a loyal knight but also a friend. His wife, Caitlyn, was prepared to help them care for Emma. She was also very talented in making clothes as well. Most of his and Snow's and even Emma's baby clothes were created by Caitlyn. Snow would have loved to see her again. Now, he had to tell him that baby Emma was no baby but rather a grown woman.

"The only dark magic would be the curse. We could only put Emma in the wardrobe and she went over alone. Time stood still for us and as you can tell we didn't age. Emma was unaffected by the curse so she aged. The baby I put in the wardrobe is now a woman." David leaned against a wall.

"How peculiar. So, your daughter is the same age as you?"

"In a way, yes." David patted Luke on the shoulder. "She's here and probably still sleeping. It is just the two of us."

"Not anymore James."

"Yeah, about that. My name isn't really James. It's David." Oh how refreshing it was to be able to use his real name and not his rotten twin brother's name. Luke looked beyond lost. "Old friend. There is much to tell you. But, first I need to check on my daughter."

They were outside of his and Snow's room. Luke waited with his back to the door, much like a guard would be protecting the room. David nodded at him and entered the room. Emma was sprawled out on the bed and a soft snore could be heard coming from her. He stifled a laugh. He would have to figure out what their next move would be. Her magic couldn't repair the whole castle. She'd never be awake if she tried. And the castle was too big for him and Luke to protect.

"Still sleeping soundly." David shut the door as he entered the hall. He took a seat on the floor and Luke followed suit. "How many of you are there hiding?"

"Me and Caitlyn. Edward, Fallon and Christian." He took a deep breath. "There were more who had fled to a safe haven with others who were unaffected. Lancelot was there. I hear stories that he died and everyone in that camp were killed."

"Snow and Emma were there. It was Regina's mother. She ripped their hearts out." David closed his eyes wondering what his friends who were left behind went through. "Some of the knights are back there. I didn't ask them to come forward. I didn't want them fighting our battle."

Luke mumbled and shook his head. It was only when David told him to say what was on his mind that he did. "Your fight is our fight. You and Snow White are amazing rulers. You ruled our Kingdom with kindness and fairness. Regina ripped that away. The men back where you came from would have stood by your side in a heartbeat. I can't figure out why they didn't approach you."

David didn't really care why they didn't. They were adjusting to having two memories and dealing with everything. Some of them had lived in the woods and were stuck in that way of life. He had Luke, Edward, Fallon and Christian. It was more than he could ask for now. They sat and caught up for an hour until David heard movement in the room.

_**Emma**_

"David?" Emma called out.

She threw her feet on the floor and pulled herself out of bed. She was still groggy and a bit confused. She did remember the events leading up to them being in her parent's room at the castle but what she didn't get was why her father, who had just entered the room, was decked out mostly in all leather. Emma tried to cover a laugh.

"I'll have you know that I've missed my old clothes. No snickering." He waved a playful finger at her then got serious. "How are you feeling?"

"Groggy. How long did I sleep this time?"

"Not as long as last time. Just two days."

"Stupid magic," she grumbled. "Did Mary Marg – ok maybe I should start calling her Snow now huh? Anyway, did she have any non-dresses I could borrow?"

She watched her father open a dresser and pull out a few items. They wouldn't fit perfectly but they should work. She wanted to feel clean clothes on her body. And a shower…or bath…whatever she could get. Emma heard a voice on the other side of the door and stiffened. How she wished she had her gun.

"It's Luke. He's a friend." David called the man in and quickly introduced them.

Luke kneeled before Emma and she wasn't sure if she wanted to roll her eyes, be embarrassed or tell the man to get up. Instead, she kneeled down to meet the man's eyes.

"You don't need to do that. I'm not anything special. Just Emma." She put her hand out to shake his and blushed when he kissed it instead.

"Oh, Princess. You are very special. You broke the curse." Luke followed her when she stood up. "My Caitlyn will just love meeting you." He looked her up and down. "She'll need to make you some new clothes."

Something in her instantly liked Luke. She could tell he genuinely cared about them. She had been concerned that they would be on their own. There was no way for Mulan or Aurora to know they were here so she was pretty sure it would be the two of them. Her growling stomach let her know she hadn't eaten in a few days.

"I've got bread and some dried meat in my bag with my horse. We will eat then you can gather some things and then we will make our way to camp." Luke's eyes were wide in anticipation.

"Camp?" Emma turned to her father. Why were they leaving the castle?

"The castle is too large for a few to protect and is in need to major repairs. Luke has a camp with his wife and three other men. We'll go for a bit until we gather everyone we can and come back to the castle. We'll take what we can carry for now." David led her to his weapons closet. "Pick a sword and one of your mother's bows. We'll practice when we get to camp." He then grabbed a bag and put some clothing items in it.

Emma touched the weapons. She was going to learn to properly wield a sword and shoot a bow and arrow? Maybe once her magic was under control she wouldn't need to use weapons. Then again she really didn't want to rely on magic to protect her unless it was necessary. She grabbed a sword and felt the weight. It seem good enough. She then picked up a bow and some arrows. These would do but she really rather much preferred her gun. Emma noticed that David had taken care of the clothing situation.

"How far are we going?" Emma questioned as they were getting Luke's horse ready.

"Not too far. We should be there by nightfall." Luke put his hand out for Emma. "Princess, please take the horse. The King and I will walk."

Emma went to protest until she caught the look her father was giving her. Without words he told her to shut up, get on the horse and deal with it. With a roll of the eyes and a huff she allowed Luke to help her up on the horse.

"Have you ever been on a horse before?" David questioned as he lifted a bag on his shoulder.

"No. But it can't be that hard."

"I'll just keep a hold of the reigns." Luke stated looking at David.

"Yes, please do." David smiled up at Emma. "I'll have to get you a pony now." He laughed and nodded to Luke to lead the way.


	15. Chapter 15

_Sorry it has taken forever to update this story. Real life got in the way along with some writer's block._

_I hope I haven't lost any readers. This is a shorter chapter but I wanted to get something out to you all. Thanks in advance for reading and as always…reviews/comments/constructive criticism is always welcome._

CHAPTER 15

_**Aurora**_

Aurora could not believe her eyes. How was this even possible? She shared the same expression as Mulan. The last time they were in this castle every room had been in some kind of ruin. And, now here they were in the nursery which was in perfect condition. There were no signs of Emma or her father. Perhaps Phillip had better luck.

"How is this possible?" Aurora found herself asking out loud.

"LADIES!" Phillip called.

They ran towards the sound of his voice and found him standing in a large room. It was probably the King and Queen's quarters. This room was in perfect condition as well. Phillip was holding a pair of pants. They were of that odd material Emma and Snow wore. It was clear someone had slept in the bed as well. It had to have been Emma and her father. They were here but had left. Why would they leave?

"It's from their world. Strange huh?" Aurora pointed to the pants. "Snow won't be happy. We need to find them."

"Perhaps they are with Christian and his people?" Phillip suggested. "It would make sense. They were Royal Guards. If they knew their King and Princess were here surely they'd come for them." He nodded to the bed. "You two get some sleep. We'll set out in the morning. I have some ideas where they may be camped."

Aurora shivered. She didn't want to sleep and go to that place. She didn't want to tell Snow White that her family was not with them. However, she did need to update Snow. Aurora could only hope that they'd be sleeping at the same time. It didn't take long for her to fall asleep as she was rather exhausted. It was impossible to know how long she was in that place before Snow appeared.

"Are they there?!" Snow yelled.

"I'm so sorry." Aurora shook her head. "Someone was here. We think it was them. Strange clothes were left behind."

"Please, you have to – "Snow didn't have to finish.

"Find them." Aurora finished for her. "We will. Phillip thinks they may have been found by some of your Royal Guards. He knows one named Christian. They weren't taken by the curse."

"If they are with Christian they will be safe. But, please. They need all the help they can get. Find them. I'll meet you here in two days." Snow reached out to hug Aurora then must have remembered she couldn't touch the other woman. "Thank you so much!"

"We'll find them. Don't worry!" Aurora yelled just before being sucked out of the Netherworld.

_**Mary Margaret**_

She woke up startled. No. No. No. That was not the news she wanted to hear. Aurora and Mulan should be with her family. Why couldn't anything go right? Now, she was going to have update Henry and Neal and she really couldn't take the sad look on Henry's face. Maybe if she explained to Henry about Christian and his loyalty to their family it would make it easier.

"Get out!" Mary Margaret heard Neal growl. "Go back to New York. You are not welcome in this town."

"Neal, please hear me out."

"She has some nerve," Mary Margaret muttered as she crawled out of bed. That witch Tamara had no right to be here. When she opened the curtain to the living room she was shocked to see Regina by Henry's side. "You are not welcome here."

"But she is?" Tamara pointed in anger at Regina.

Mary Margaret didn't respond instead she calmly made her way to Tamara and with force grabbed the woman's arm and yanked her towards the door. Tamara jerked back.

"YOU tormented my daughter. YOU messed with his memories," Mary Margaret hissed pointing to Neal. "And YOU plotted with Cora. I should have you locked in jail with your friend Greg."

"This world has no laws against those things." She narrowed her eyes at Regina. "Why isn't she locked up?"

Mary Margaret wanted to punch this woman. She was seriously upset Regina killed Cora. The only person allowed to be upset was Regina. This woman was unbelievable.

"You do not want to drag me in to this." Regina took a few smooth strides towards Tamara. Mary Margaret was glad she was not in Tamara's shoes right now.

"You killed your own mother. My ticket to the good life." Tamara took a deep breath. "You owe me."

Mary Margaret held on to Henry the moment she saw Regina's shoulders tense. She didn't have a good feeling about any of this. With a flick of Regina's wrist Tamara flew up against the wall. She didn't struggle to breathe but was obviously struggling. Neal came to Henry's other side. Regina's face was red and the vein in her forehead was bulging.

"Are you going to let her hurt me?" Tamara cried.

"I can't stop her. She has magic." Mary Margaret shrugged.

"And you don't?" Tamara asked.

Interesting, Mary Margaret thought. How did she not know if she had magic or not. Surely, Cora would have told her who was magical and a threat. Something flashed in Tamara's eyes. She couldn't read what it was. Regina suddenly dropped Tamara who had only been a foot or two off the ground. "I don't believe you. My mother may have lowered herself to work with Hook. But you…no." Regina leaned in close. "I don't believe it. I will find out who you really are and what you are up to. I promise you that." She opened the front door. "Now, leave." Tamara glared at her before leaving. "I have to ask Mr. Cassidy. What ever did you see in that woman?"

Neal simply shrugged. Mary Margaret was curious about that herself but didn't dare ask. Regina shut the door and turned to face her former step-daughter. It was now or never, she thought. Time to tell them she had no clue where Emma and David were. Henry took her hand and smiled up at her. Oh, Henry. The perfect combination of his mother and father. And even some of her and David. So smart, clever and brave.

"Your mom and grandpa weren't at the castle when Mulan and the others arrived." She led Henry to the couch and waited for Neal and Regina to get settled before filling them in what she knew.

_**David **_

The sunlight woke him. His sore back told him he hadn't slept in a bed. There were birds chirping and he couldn't help but smile. What made him smile even more was the familiar sound of Emma waking up. Rolling over to his side he found her covering her eyes with one arm while attempting to cover one of her ears. She could be heard cursing the morning back home all the time. David couldn't help but be thankful they were given their own tent and no one else would have to face Emma first thing in the morning. They were not ready to handle that.

"Shut up. Stupid bird just shut up," she hissed.

David shook his head and found himself laughing. That earned him a "I heard that" and "shut up" from Emma. Finally, she sat up and was wiping the sleep from her eyes while yawning. He couldn't wait to get up and talk more with his old friends and for Emma to get to know Caitlyn more. They didn't get to talk long with his friends when they arrived to camp. Caitlyn promptly ushered Emma to the bathing hole and got her cleaned up while David caught up with Christian. Edward and Fallon had been out on a hunting trip.

"I miss my bed," Emma whimpered.

"Big baby." David leaned over and ruffled her hair. She batted at him playfully. "Let's get up and see what they have for breakfast."

"Oh. The food." She frowned.

He laughed again before exiting the tent. He found Cait and Luke sitting at a table near the fire. Christian was off in the distance heading their way. Edward and Fallon would be returning later that day he had been told. Cait greeted them first by giving David a hug then wrapping her arms around Emma, who not one for random affection, was stiff.

"Good Morning!" Cait sing songed. "I hope you slept well." She grabbed Emma's hand and pulled her to the table then seated herself next to her. "We have some berries and fish and some fresh goat milk." She smiled proudly as she pointed out the food on the table.

Oh, he hadn't had goat milk in forever. He wasn't sure he remembered liking it much but for them to have it was amazing. They had done well in their little camp. Emma popped a berry in her mouth and picked at the fish in front of her.

"I'll have some clothes for you, Princess. I just need time to scavenge some material. Perhaps we could travel back to the castle and I could use some of Snow's old clothes to fashion some new for the Princess?" She asked Luke and David.

"We could at some point. I think the Princess is going to be very busy soon with her lessons. We won't have time to travel back to the castle anytime soon." He nodded to a tent that was at towards the end of camp. "I'm sure Fallon would be more than honored if you used Miss Jillian's clothes for our Princess."

David frowned. Jillian was Fallon's wife. She must not have survived. He'd have to ask Luke later about it. Christian plopped down at the table and grabbed a handful of berries and jammed them in his mouth. Cait slapped him on the head and told him to have manners in front of the Princess.

"Ok, seriously." Emma put down the milk she was about to try. "Enough with the Princess bit. I'm Emma. Just Emma. Please, just don't call me Princess."

"See, Cait. Everything is fine," Christian said then stuck his tongue out.

"You are such a child," she sighed.

David had missed his friends. They would enjoy this time together then strategize on ways to teach Emma all the skills she'd need. Her main concern would be her magic but she also need to learn her swordsmanship and archery. He had no doubt she'd do just fine and his friends would help them.

_**Tamara**_

"Those stupid people."

Tamara paced back and forth outside the tent Greg had set up for them just outside town. That old woman kicked them out of her Inn. Well then, Granny. You'll be the first to go. Perhaps they could frame Regina for it and keep any suspicion off of them for a while.

"Calm down." Greg placed a hand on her arm. "We need to stay calm if we are to get Regina."

"The old woman goes first."

"I thought the plan was to find my father THEN take all the magic?" Greg was angry now. "Don't change the plan."

Tamara frowned. Regina would never give his father back. She actually cared for Greg. He wasn't a means to an end like Neal. It hurt to see him suffer and to grieve his father's loss. But, they would need magic first to go against Regina and while what she had was impressive…it wasn't enough. Regina, Rumplestiltskin, the fairies, Granny and Red were the ones they truly needed power from. They had the most magic and she wasn't sure who else in town had some. Emma's magic would have been a great addition to her collection but she was out of the picture now.

"I can't believe they bought the 'I worked for Cora' line," Greg said trying to break the silence.

"Regina is suspicious but the rest are fools." Her demeanor changed. "Just wait. I'll take their magic and we'll go back to the Enchanted Forest and I'll take what is rightfully mine." She kissed him passionately. "With you by my side."

"And have you found King George yet?"

"No." She was not happy about that.

"I heard he ran off after trying to frame that wolf girl for murder. No one has seen him since."

This would not work. She needed her revenge. All of this…all of the plans she put in to motion were for this. To destroy George and anyone else standing in her way of taking back what was her by birthright. This was for her family. George never deserved his title and neither did his son. She would end them all.


End file.
